What causes failure?
Published:Saturday | October 16, 2010 | 12:00 AM
The Editor, Sir:
Successive governments have not funded education as a priority. Yet, as a society, we have and are expressing surprise and shock at the revelation by the inspectorate unit of the Ministry of Education that a significant number of the nation's schools is failing.
There are many factors outside of the realm of the teacher that have a negative impact on teaching and learning. One of the most striking is that of pupil-teacher ratio. At the secondary level, the Ministry of Education suggests a 1:35 teacher-pupil ratio, yet the reality for many teachers and students is far removed from what the ministry suggests. There are many schools, especially in the urban areas, where the ratio is 1:60 or very close, and yet we expect the best outcome for education when the foundation is not in place or, where it exists, it is not conducive to teaching and learning.
Another factor is the poorly maintained infrastructure of some schools, especially upgraded high schools. It is not uncommon to find classrooms without proper lighting and ventilation.
hindering education
Many a classroom tends to be more like a sauna, which clearly hinder the process of teaching and learning.
Is there a unit in the Ministry of Education that inspects school plants and makes the necessary recommendations and changes?.
We don't need to mention the unevenness in students as they make the transition from primary to secondary education. By this I mean the 'dumping' of academically weak students to specific schools, and the reverse holding true - academically gifted students are sent to the 'best' high schools.
In this profession, teachers suffer a lot from being 'burnt out'. This must also be factored into the discourse. Not to mention that there are schools where textbooks are more of a luxury than a necessity for teaching and learning. There is also the situation where some students refuse to take their books to schools with them. Of course, there are some parents who do not adequately monitor the progress, or lack thereof, of their children.
How do we expect students to perform at their optimal levels?
In this society, we have a fascination, some might say an obsession, with wasting money to investigate that which is already known. Pity that the voiceless and the powerless are the ones who always suffer, while the policy-makers play politics.
I am, etc.,
WAYNE CAMPBELL
Kingston