Ronald Thwaites | Keeping ourselves in poverty

Clifton entered 7th grade in high school last September reading at Grade Three level and no grasp even of times-tables. He is not violent but has little sense of order and few social graces. Regular teaching would be incomprehensible to him. He will be promoted to grade 8 this June whether his situation has improved or not. The big money and great hopes being expended on his schooling by his parent and the taxpayers pay little dividends.

Fortunately for Clifton, but not yet for thousands like him, he is now engaged in an intense remedial program to help him catch up what was missing in his primary school experience. He is one of the lucky ones. After four months, he is now reading at Grade 5 level, able to do simple multiplication and is reasonably calm in class. The expensive books which his mother used her partner draw to buy for him are still of no use.

BECOMING POORER

Every time a Jamaican youth leaves school without employable skills of literacy, numeracy, respect and manners, our society becomes poorer.

The ability to reason is what distinguishes humans from the rest of creation. The activity of the cultured mind can achieve goodness and flourishing. To deny or deceive a vulnerable child of the capacity to think, to gain knowledge and skills, is a social crime – worse than physical abuse. In the language of theology it is a mortal sin. Jesus could not be clearer in his warning not to lead his little ones astray.(Matt Ch.18 v6 )

LITTLE HOPE

On a purely secular level, if Jamaican children continue to be wasted by inadequate or improper education, there is no hope for social cohesion and material prosperity – no matter the riches of the minority or the artfulness of the political party in power.

But that is exactly what is happening to more than one-third of our children who, by default, expect, and on paper are guaranteed, at least adequate levels of advancement from going to school but instead end up without attainment or certification.

Check the recent World Bank report which rates Jamaica way down on the regional and international scale of world-class education outcomes. We are keeping ourselves in poverty.

KEEPING HOPE ALIVE

Last week, a project called the 7th Grade Academy was launched at Holy Trinity High School in Kingston. Only four per cent of their entering students last year could read and compute at a level which would make secondary instruction intelligible. The remainder were like Clifton. This, despite six previous years in primary school and before that, probably two years in an early childhood institution. Left alone, at best they will be wasted. More likely they will be dangers to the rest of us.

The target of the project is to advance these students to appropriate grade level in just three subject areas – literacy, numeracy and character formation from four per cent to 70 per cent in one year. Impossible? Unlikely? Well, given the consequences, the effort must be worthwhile, even though many school officials, parents and the nation are complacent with chronic failure.

The 7th Grade Academy is beginning to work. After a shaky first term start, most students, subjected to repeated and rigorous evaluation, have advanced one grade level in reading and are showing positive behaviour changes. For others with severe mental, emotional or learning challenges, special therapy is being applied. Proper daily nutrition is the unresolved problem for most of the children.

A CITIZENS EFFORT

Funded largely by voluntary effort and private sector donations, the project has also just begun at Newell High School in St Elizabeth where there is a similar need. It is more or less the same situation at close to a hundred other high schools. We need to get to them fast. Some principals are in denial, unwilling to acknowledge the diminishment of their school; others in the teaching force feel overwhelmed by the extra work required and many parents are nonplussed by the gravity of the problem.

SPEAK TRUTH

In endorsing the 7th Grade Academy, Minister Morris Dixon spoke of other efforts to remediate early education failure. This is all to the good provided that each investment is carefully tailored to the varying situations in each school and is continuously and truthfully evaluated. Unfortunately, there has been a tendency to be less than honest about educational outcomes or to lower examination standards to make results and competencies seem better than they really are.

THE ONUS

So now we are facing the problem squarely and are getting proof of concept of what can work to correct it. The onus is on the churches and trusts, owners of schools and the Ministry of Education to mandate and enable programmes like the 7th Grade Academy. A centre for training teachers in the methodology of remediation can be established quickly without great cost if we use existing resources creatively.

Change will involve zeal and humility on the part of school leaders and teachers. The present routine of schools, defined by an outdated code; the rhythm of the ill-fitting standard curriculum and the fitful discipline of character formation, all have to give way to a flexible but unyielding emphasis on foundational skills.

THE CONTRIBUTORS

A pilgrimage of hope has begun. Who will lead in enthusing the national energies required to sustain the hope? So far the private sector has been more responsive to the urgency of change than others who make the rules and control the education purse. The sclerosis affecting State activity disables the ministry from timely response.

At Holy Trinity, a five-month-old commitment to refit a putrid bathroom has yet to be fulfilled. A committed private sector partner will have it done in the next two weeks. The E-Learning Company has been the admirable exception with prompt and fulsome response. Elsewhere, low energy, hide-bound procedures, petty jealousy and institutional entropy can defeat any minister’s inspiration and wisdom. This is unacceptable.

The private foundations and civil society groups, companies and individuals – Project STAR, S Hotel, Digicel, Breds, to name just a few, are not so encumbered. New partnership are the only hope. Concern for and contribution to saving Clifton and his kind has to move from being a trend to an intense national commitment!

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