EDITORIAL: Inspiration, lessons from a quiz show

This week's thrilling finals of the annual (TVJ) Junior Schools' Challenge Quiz provided inspiration for many who watched the programme. The finalists from Mona Preparatory and Allman Town Primary displayed poise, competence, intelligence, and tenacity. And if we believe that education is strongly linked to economic empowerment, then these children hold great prospects for the future.

Young children who have gained national attention via contests like the Schools' Challenge Quiz and the Spelling Bee Competition are looking to a bright future in which they will contribute to the further development of their country. They all expressed a wish to be professionals.

Some people may argue that swotting for a set of questions is not a good test of how the students are doing, but judging from reports, all the children who have participated in these competitions have done very well in their GSAT examinations, and have moved comfortably to the next level of their education.

One of the gratifying things about this contest, in an era when much has been said about the marginalisation of boys, was that there were seven bright youngsters among the eight finalists, demonstrating that boys can achieve great results if they work hard.

Heartiest congratulations

Mona Preparatory, populated by children of upper class and middle-class-income families, emerged champions in a keen contest. They deserve heartiest congratulations. But Allman Town Primary, tucked away in a less affluent part of the city, excelled far above the expectations often placed on poor, inner-city schools. And, understandably, national attention has shifted to understanding how a school like Allman Town Primary was able to strike such a hopeful note for the inner city.

Knowing the violence, depravity, and perils of inner-city life, the success of schools like Allman Town and Windward Road Primary, which won the trophy in three consecutive years, can be viewed as closing the uptown- downtown achievement gap. The teachers create an orderly environment for learning. They set the bar high and motivate the children to get over that bar. They certainly do not believe that poverty is an excuse for poor performance. Hidden in many of our inner-city schools are pockets of excellence: shining examples of how to overcome obstacles, and how to dream big and achieve those dreams.

Uncertain economic times means there are less resources for schools, and schools like Allman Town do not have the pool of cash-rich parents and alumni from which to draw, and this makes their achievement that more laudable.

But excellence does not happen by chance. Successful schools usually feature strong leadership, rigorous focus on the academics, and consistent discipline, and we need more of these schools all across Jamaica.

What seems crucial in all of this is the collaboration between schools, families, and the community. When there is this relationship, hopefully, school property will not be vandalised and stolen, and everyone will see to the children's safety.

We concede that schools alone cannot provide the changes needed to transform our problem-plagued society. However, we believe education has to be accorded high priority, even as we seek to address the economic inequities that create opportunities for criminal activity and mayhem.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.