Revamp education system

Brian James, Contributor

THE STATE of the Jamaican secondary education system has recently caused me considerable concern. I have had reason to interact closely with some schools, thereby gaining some insight into the working of the secondary education system and this has caused me some trepidation. My conclusion is that there are deep-seated problems which, if not addressed, will lead to the blighting of the nation's prospect of developing our way out of poverty and underachievement. The three main areas of concern are:

1. Schools seem to be run primarily to secure the interest of the teachers and administrative staff and not the children. If the primary mission of the education system was to educate our children, then all administrative decisions made in schools would, either directly or indirectly, serve to promote this mission. How is the interest of a child served by being sent home from school if he or she breaks a rule? How does it serve the interest of students to miss two days of schoolwork in one week because one of those days is designated Teachers' Day?

2. The school system does not have basic achievement objectives for every student admitted into high school. It is, for example, difficult to understand how a child can go through more than four years of high school and then not be recommended to sit any Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects. This child then leaves high school with no certification and the failed school is allowed to move on to spoil the lives of another cohort of unfortunate young victims.

3. The role of the teachers' organisation in the formulation and implementation of policy. School should be about educating children and all other interests and agendas should be secondary. If teachers object when policies are introduced which improve delivery of quality education, they should not be teachers. If there is a competition between the interest of the student and the comfort of the teacher, the former trumps the latter. More pay and better working conditions for teachers should be supported only in as much as they promote interests of the students.

With the advent of a new government, we have a great opportunity to make some bold, decisive moves to set the education system right and secure our nation's future. The education minister has to realise that he is responsible for rescuing Jamaica's future. Platitudes and political posturing won't help our children. An educated population is a productive population and is less prone to antisocial behaviour. We all stand to benefit. We owe it to the next generation.

Suggested rescue plan

Mr Minister, please allow me to make some suggestions as my contribution to the rescue plan.

1. Policy guidelines should be given to the schools which prevent them from subverting the educational interest of the student and, hence, the future of the country. The students must have a minimum number of learning days per term and holidays should be shortened if the school falls short for some unavoidable reason. Further, sanctions should be applied to the school administration if reasonable explanations are not forthcoming for any missed days.

2. All students completing five years of secondary education should, at the very minimum, be sitting mathematics, English and one other subject at CSEC level. The school should be held accountable for any student who is not deemed fit to sit these basic subjects, as well as for an overall pass rate of below 50 per cent. Schools not meeting these objectives should be designated failures and appropriate remedial or punitive action taken.

3. The Jamaica Teachers' Association and any other body purporting to represent teachers should be fully engaged in this rescue mission. Their leadership must be dragged into the realisation that the education system exists for one purpose only - the complete education of the nation's children. The members of the teaching fraternity must realise that their mission is to teach and to guide the learning process. Their pay cheque cannot be the main reason they are in the classroom. The committed, non-mercenary teachers who remain in the system should be properly compensated.

4. The schools which have recently been upgraded from junior secondary to high schools need special attention. They must be given the resources and administrative support to make them academically on par with high schools. Minimum standards must be established which guarantee each child in secondary school a reasonable opportunity to get a secondary education.

Finally, there is need for a tripartite social contract between the educators, the policymakers and the populace.