Ronald Thwaites | Time come for serious education reform

I am repeating myself without apology. If there is one area of national life that demands united thrust, it is education reform. We seem to be doing reasonably well right now with containing the worst ravages of COVID-19. Taming corruption and having efficient governance are impossible without the radical change of our political and constitutional structure, for which we seem to have no stomach.

Recalibrating the wicked inadequacy and cruel inequality of the Jamaican economy and achieving acceptable levels of national security are both premised on how we train and socialise the citizenry, especially the youth.

Thus, effective education and training remain centre stage. Come on, Andrew and Mark. Why are you still offstage, missing your cues?

The Orlando Patterson -led commission report transforming education has been in the public domain since the end of last year, and was with the Cabinet and ministry from well before that. The response to this epoch-making piece of work, so far, has been flat and shows dangerous disinterest in its subject.

Most of our leaders delight in majoring in minor issues. There has been no debate about the ‘pop-down’ in school outcomes in Parliament, while members have worked up a lather about the postponement of relatively useless local elections. Not even a referral of the report to a joint select committee. Have even 10 per cent of elected representatives read the report?

It is noteworthy that Opposition-linked groupings have stimulated virtual discussions on the theme of education reform. Who else?

How can the Jamaica Teaching Council Bill be taken outside the context of the education/ transformation report? When will the EPOC-like structure recommended to oversee the transformation be struck, and to include which transformative minds?

Has the National Council on Education begun to stimulate public discussion on the recommendations? How much will these proposals be reflected in the Budget to be tabled next month? The frighteningly reactionary teachers’ union still has its mout’ ‘kibbered’. What are the academies saying – the universities, teachers’ colleges, not to mention HEART – all of whose mandates, operations and financing are profoundly affected by the commission’s analysis?

POSITION PAPER

Here are excerpts from a position paper prepared by a group of church people, whose denomination owns a significant percentage of the schools in Jamaica and who have been thinking how to critique the transformation report and implement its suggestions in their institutions. This response, although intended principally for the particular school communities, will be followed by an implementation plan with specific targets and timelines. It is not yet an official position of the Church. Rather, it is offered here as a discussion piece and, hopefully, a stimulus for the intense and sustained consideration which has so far been absent.

“The Christian principles that guide our schools seek to ensure that every single person, without exception, becomes a good, wholesome human being who will leave school not only with the high grades and skills for which we are reputed, but more so with the morals, the values and attitudes of love of God, self-respect, respect for others, commitment to service, care for the environment and loyalty to country. We affirm the priority of character formation as the ultimate goal of true education.

“In that context, we find that the Patterson Report on transforming education has reinforced many of the initiatives we have sought in our Catholic schools, and we endorse most of the recommendations. We particularly support the call for a greater focus and resourcing of pre-primary and primary levels. The Church is especially anxious to place emphasis on these two levels. These are the basis of the entire education structure and determine ability to cope with post-primary education. Yet they are least resourced. And the results can be considered appalling: the report points out that at the end of six years of primary schooling, 56 per cent of the students cannot, or can barely, read. Similar percentages cannot write, or comprehend simple sentences. We cannot continue like this. We have to ensure that our Catholic schools develop an even higher standard, and that the quality for which many of our schools are noted is spread to all our Catholic schools.

“Given the disastrous effects of the pandemic on education, compounding an already-bad situation, we ask that the Principals and teachers at our Catholic schools redouble efforts to rescue those who have been unable, for various reasons, to keep up with their education. This is an immediate and vital need: to bring back all those who have not been to school during the pandemic, and to find ways to catch up on those years of schooling lost.

“Our commitment is that in the schools we own, no child must ‘drop out’ or ‘be put out’ of school. So, School Boards need to ensure that Principals and teachers search out and recover those who have fallen away at every level of education. A special retention programme should be developed in schools, using a range of mechanisms to help weaker students, such as having good students guiding them as mentors and academic coaches.

SUPPORTED BY IT RESOURCES

“Teaching at all levels, but especially at pre-primary and primary, should be animated and heavily supported by creative use of the full range of IT and internet resources, as the Report recommends, to stimulate, engage and facilitate imaginative exploration and learning. Teaching also needs to use communication, especially modes of oral communication, in a language that the student understands.

“Noting the Report’s finding that fewer than 30 per cent of students who write the CSEC exams pass five subjects, including English and Mathematics, at a single sitting, we are of the view that if the pre-primary and primary levels are strengthened, this will impact positively on output at the secondary level. Notwithstanding, the secondary level will also need attention, including infusing teaching with increased and more engaging IT support, as at the earlier levels. We need to find ways to deliver the most effective teaching and may pilot the use of subject experts to deliver classes across our secondary schools.

“At all levels, we discourage the practice of automatic promotion from one level to the next, but instead, recommend that those who do not achieve a minimum standard for that grade repeat and get special remedial attention. We cannot send forward children to the next grade when they have not minimum mastery of their current grade, as it simply ensures their inability to cope at the higher grade.

“We recognise that pre-primary especially, but all teachers require more pay and better qualifications. Hence, we encourage increased and up-to-date teacher-training. For example, the majority of the pre-primary teaching staff have rather low qualifications. They should be incentivised to upgrade in-service by way of workshops and micro-credentialing and stackable courses, and their salary scales need to be revised significantly from the minimum-wage level that most endure.

CONTINUE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

“Generally, therefore, we encourage teachers in our schools to continue their professional ongoing education by way of short courses and workshops, etc, that may be available, so that they can remain current with methodologies and curricula appropriate to today’s schools. We encourage a training that implements the Patterson Report’s recommendation for flipping the classroom so that the learning is student-centred and the teacher becomes a facilitator.

“In facilitating such ongoing professional development, we encourage our Catholic tertiary institutions (St Joseph’s Teachers’ College; Catholic College of Mandeville, and St Michael’s Theological College) to make available a range of professional development options, and to ensure that their curricula for teacher-training seek the most current and best training practices. We encourage their collaboration with each other and their development of modes of delivery that facilitate teacher participation.

“Our Catholic schools always encourage parental participation in their child’s education, and we expect School Boards to find ways of having mothers and fathers involved in their children’s learning. As part of this, we support the Report’s recommendation for parental financial support of our schools, even as it calls for more state resources and re-allocation of state support from areas of tertiary education to the pre-primary and primary levels.

“We urge all our Catholic schools to ensure a proper orientation to teachers as to what a Catholic school expects of them, and an orientation to parents, in addition to an orientation to each child that enters one of our schools. They must all know the principles and values we promote and their role as teachers, parents and students in ensuring the best education available. School Boards need to ensure that these purposive orientations are carried out.

“In keeping with the Report’s recommendations, we urge our schools to ensure that nutritious breakfasts and lunches are provided to children in need. We support the recommendation for some mechanism for assistance with transport for those in financial need. We encourage our schools to require children to participate in co-curricular activities, and we especially ask our teachers to pay attention to at-risk students, especially males, ensuring that they are facilitated and encouraged to stay in school.

“The Catholic Church supports the Report’s call for improved pay for teachers, as well as increased accountability – teachers need to assume greater responsibility for their students’ academic performance and find ways to see that weaker students get special attention. We want the best quality of education for our students and, to ensure that, we expect the involvement of Boards, teachers, parents, students and the state, as well as private support”.

So what do other people say? Time come! “Education is an act of love. It is like giving life.” (Pope Francis)

Rev Ronald G. Thwaites is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.