Progress in politics: progress in education?

Esther Tyson, Contributor

Happy New Year to all Jamaicans! I am a proud Jamaican! I am part of a nation with a strong and robust democracy.

The peaceful way in which the election of 2011 was conducted reflects that we are growing in maturity in our political process. The images of PNP and JLP supporters together cheering, giving their parties' salutes without animosity, seeing the green and orange riding together on a motorbike, need to be broadcast across the world.

This is in the midst of violent protests taking place elsewhere. Even in the United States, the Wall Street protesters are challenging the status quo. In Jamaica, we have done it through peaceful elections.

As an educator, I am concerned that the transformation taking place in the political process is reflected in education. Education transformation needs not only to continue but to be fast-tracked. This process began under the People's National Party (PNP) administration and was continued under the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) government.

It is important that this continuity is maintained. Barbados is known to have one of the most successful education systems in the Caribbean. This is because its plan of education is maintained, no matter what political party forms the government. We need to do the same.

In addition, there are aspects of the Transformation in Education programme that need to be accelerated. These include the implementation of the leadership college for principals, the strengthening of the National Education Inspectorate (NEI) and the establishment of the regional education authorities (REA) in the six regions in order to supply the skills and expertise needed to address the weaknesses identified in the schools by the NEI. By having these systems working efficiently, the culture of the schools will begin to change.

The challenges of education today require that a principal is not simply someone promoted from being a classroom teacher to a senior teacher to vice-principal and then to principal. This is no longer sufficient; there must be specific training that is done to prepare the principals of schools. There is too much at stake to do otherwise. This means that principals need to be trained in human resource management, fiscal management, understanding the laws governing education, and instructional leadership, among other areas.

The preparation stated above is not all; the character of a principal must be above reproach. The principal must have the moral authority to influence both staff and students. A principal also needs to have courage and boldness. The principal must be able to see the 'big picture' and must be a visionary. The principal must be able to take the right action, even when it is not popular. The principal must see that education is, above all, about the children getting the best opportunity to develop their minds and characters and to achieve their very best.

Change of culture

The culture, for some, of school being a place which provides a holding area for students needs to change. Teachers need to be motivated to see themselves as agents of change. They need to believe that they can make a difference. Teaching while having no motivation to see students excel, despite their seemingly low starting point, is simply holding on to the job to get 'a money'. This is not acceptable. The transformation in the schools must be given urgent attention.

To strengthen this culture change, systems need to be put in place to hold teachers accountable for their performance in the classrooms. Teachers should understand that they are accountable to the students and parents, as well as the principal, board and the Government. Students should not live in fear of repercussions from a teacher because they complain about teacher absence from class or lack of preparation. After all, this would be similar to a constituent speaking out about an MP's lack of performance and being targeted for harassment because of doing that.

Other than being held accountable, teachers should be required to update their training on an ongoing basis. If the Government is serious about the development of our nation, it must focus on the training of our teachers as a priority. By this I mean ongoing training. Education has changed rapidly with the advancement in technology. Our students' learning requirements have changed, but many teachers' knowledge base have become antiquated. The Jamaica Teaching Council needs to be made a legal body so that it can develop and implement training programmes that are needed for our teachers.

Our education system can change, but it can only improve when the systems that have been proposed under the transformation programme are implemented effectively. It cannot take another four or five years before we see the recommendations made earlier this decade begin to take effect.

It would mean that we have lost another generation of students to the slipshod education process that passes in some places in this country. Overall, then, the culture of transparency and accountability that we are pushing for in Government needs to become part of the culture of the schools of Jamaica.

Nations such as Singapore, which do not have the natural resources we have, were able to move their countries forward because they understand that their greatest asset is the developed minds of their people. Singapore has become a prosperous nation because it was not fearful to invest in its people and develop its knowledge capital.

I hope that in the same way we have seen progress in our political process, we will see similar advancement in how we view and value education in our nation. We have found ways to invest money in the roads in Jamaica. We need to find ways to invest the money needed into education. Even more, we need the people of Jamaica to value the education process and to push for a world-class system for our children.

Esther Tyson is an educator. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.