ONLINE FEEDBACK

Below are edited excerpts from comments posted online at www.jamaica-gleaner.com by readers to yesterday's lead story 'S-H-A-M-E - How we got education wrong'.

What's the solution?

There is nothing particularly alarming about this report. We all know that the problems abound. We all know that students aren't, on the whole, motivated to learn. We all know that some teachers aren't motivated to teach. So what?

I would like to hear the recommendations and proposed changes that were given to each 'unsatisfactory' school. What are the interventions that the Ministry of Education plans to undertake and what is the vision for those schools in particular?

Furthermore, what method was used to do this evaluation?

I hope the best research methods were used and that this was a longitudinal study of each specific area that was evaluated. Otherwise, should the nation be led to believe that one week's, or even one month's, 'observation' is suffi-cient to produce such damning reports?

And finally ... who exactly should remove the chalkboard partitions? The poor schools cannot even get money from the Government to pay light and water bills!

-A Bennett

Revisit teacher-student ratio

Until they really take a serious look at the student-teacher ratio in Jamaica, there will be no solution to this problem. I taught at a primary school for 10 years and my highest number of students was 60 and lowest was in the 40s. At one point, I had a combination of grades seven, eight and nine in the same room.

I quit and am now in the health service in the USA.

- LorenzÏo

Useless inspectorate

Again, we are getting important revelations from a former executive in an important public office. Is it that we are muzzled during our tenure at the helm? Alas, the inspectorate does not reveal anything that has not been highlighted about our school conditions.

I wonder if the inspectorate even has the moral authority to inspect schools, as many of the panellists have also been participants in this failing system - many have been involved in teacher preparation and certification, school administration and teaching. The inspectorate has always been a bad idea - instead of inspecting, use the resources to help the 'failing schools'.

- Ajaed