Ronald Thwaites | Root causes of education’s malady

The little guy at my church got his fifth choice of secondary-school placement last week. He could hardly have missed getting into “a school of his choice”, given all of seven choices he had to name.

He and his mother are not happy. It will take three bus fares to get to the new school. Neither mother’s minimum wage nor the PATH money can go up to that. His father is “not in the picture”, according to mommy. The boy will have to be on the road by five in the morning to reach class on time. She is going to try, but he will probably attend three days a week.

The bigger problem is that he scored at beginner level in mathematics and in language arts. Unless there is a programme of intense remediation over this summer, my guy, along with more than a third of the 36,000 grade-six cohort, will transition to secondary studies in September, unable to read and compute at a standard which will allow them to successfully engage.

But there is no mandatory or comprehensive programme of remediation available. Teachers are travelling as usual this summer, and they say they need a rest. Mommy couldn’t afford extra lessons anyway. So we will kick his can of problems into the new academic year; at a different school, ill-equipped to deal with whole-scale academic and emotional distress and another frustrated set of teachers.

END RESULTS

His outcome is highly predictable. We are making sure that we will have to experience more Project STARs, other charitable ‘make-ups’ of basic needs for schools and, indisputably, recurring states of emergency – on which we spend more time and money than fixing education.

Last week, too, we learned that there is neither an announced plan nor an approved budget for implementation of the Patterson-inspired educational transformation. Are we serious? After two years since the report was done? “Soon tell you about the money and the programme”, says the minister who, like the ‘Implementing Committee’, has been given straw basket to carry water.

Truly, there is little hope for the yout’ who I have been telling you about. As Mommy says, “If a coulda jus’ get to sen’ ‘im to him auntie in New York, t’ings woulda betta, don’t?!”

SIR PATRICK GETS ITS

I am inspired by Sir Patrick Allen’s boldness and truth in his address on last week’s Day of Mourning for abused children. He urges the nation to address the root causes of violence, especially against children. Listen to the gentleman: “…Whether it be poverty, education breakdown, family values, social disparity or lack of mental health services…we must acknowledge our shortcomings, face them and take decisive action…”.

Thank you, Sir Patrick. The “root causes” are all of the above. Please continue to stand outside King’s House gate and offer moral leadership to us. We rate you when you cease being the echo of whichever political tendency misuses power. Because, just match what you said in comparison to the twenty-two (and counting) months of reckless dithering over the Patterson Report, the toleration of hopeless inequities and inadequacies in our schools, and our promotion of ‘bungle a gyal’, abortion, bling and gambling over committed and loving family life.

The fundamental question arising out of the governor general’s instruction is whether the Government is using our money to sufficiently deal with root causes. Clearly not.

From its start, we have underestimated the damage which the cessation of face-to-face classes, the discipline of school attendance, idleness and emotional distress have wrought on hundreds of thousands of Jamaican children. Intense resocialisation and therapy have to complement the academic catch-up. My youth lost virtually two years of effective schooling at a crucial stage of his development. His PEP results are proof.

Most of us are in denial about these problems. Confronting them, as Sir Patrick encourages, will mean too much disruption and cost to the way we continue to carry out education. So, once more, lessons unlearnt, form takes place over substance and, right about this time again, ‘graduation’ exercises equalise for a few dazzling but deceitful moments, the prowess of the relatively few who are proficient with the mass of underachievers. Self-samfi!

The consequences are staring at us. The increasing gender disparity in literacy, numeracy and social adjustment cascades into higher education imbalances and, inevitably, into all aspects of later life. Who are these higher-achieving women going to marry?

RESOLVE TO DO BETTER

My religious communion is preparing to take up the challenge given it by the prime minister to increase its footprint in quality education and to excel, particularly in the areas of early-childhood instruction and the inculcation of wholesome values and attitudes. Transformation can’t wait on the ministry to be initiated.

There is no need for much capital spending on infrastructure. The roofs and desks may not be ideal, but they are usable. The first imperative is to upgrade the training and remuneration of all early-childhood practitioners. Emphasise the psychosocial development of each child. Concentrate on positive value and habit formation with an assertive and intentional programme of Christian living. Relational and behavioural skills are best introduced at the early-childhood stage. There was a promise to transition all basic schools to infant schools. This has not happened.

Starting this programme in September will give good earnest of a resolve to continue on to the doable and affordable changes at the higher school grades. My boy described above is still doomed to failure, but since we don’t care to save him, at least begin something which will prevent succeeding generations from suffering the same fate.

What a horrible, sinful conclusion that is!

Having played a significant role in the researching and writing of the Patterson Report, I thought Senator Morris-Dixon would be given the task of leading the executive’s response. The line ministry is too preoccupied with maintenance of the existing system to lead. Isn’t that obvious by now?

The churches who operate schools must assert their right to introduce courses and pedagogy which will address the root causes of our malady.

Rev Ronald G. Thwaites is an attorney-at-law. He is former member of parliament for Kingston Central and was the minister of education. He is the principal of St Michael’s College at the UWI. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.