Teach teachers and principals a lesson

Ronald Mason, GUEST COLUMNIST

Education in Jamaica is a large industry. The players are very diverse and include the formal education system regulated by a Ministry of Education (MOE). An informal education system starts with the very young on someone's veranda and progresses, at least, to the minimally regulated second-chance high schools or their elite parallels.

At that point, it is time to take the CSEC and CAPE examinations. However, the high school seeks to exercise a monopoly on the rights of the individual student in making the determination as to when he or she is, and should be, ready to take subjects on their own.

It would be accepted that one of the purposes of the formal high school system is to prepare the students for these external examinations. Each student learns at his/her own pace. The school recognises the different attributes of each student. It responds to this by placing the students in the appropriate stratum of the form/grade groups.

The students who have been identified as having higher-than-average capability are recognised and challenged, where appropriate. This is what leads to conflict with the schools exercising monopolistic rights in determining who sits which exam and when.

It is understandable that the school has a vested interest. Think if all the students who feel competent to take the CSEC exams in fourth form do so. The schools' results evaluation will be skewed negatively. This could lead to only the less competent taking these subjects in fifth form and getting less-than-stellar passes which would not be counterbalanced by the bright cohorts. They passed, on their own, from fourth form. No results are credited to the school.

A principal has stated that the school system is not just to facilitate the taking of exams, but also has some purpose grounded in socialisation. Whose purpose is served? The school's, or student's?

There are reports of home-schooled children being successful in external exams at an age equivalent to third form. Is it to be presumed that the fourth-form successful student will be a less well-adjusted person than if he or she had done the exam in fifth form?

However, the students have justiciable rights. They are entitled to an education by our Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. The evaluation criteria for the secondary education are the results obtained in the CSEC exams. On what legal basis (note, I said legal) does the school interfere with the child's/parent's decision to take the external exam as a private candidate in fourth form? This seems to require the intervention of the courts of the land to affirm the students' right to choose.

This right is a guarantee of the Jamaican Constitution, as amended. Traditionally, Jamaicans have stayed away from using the court to determine rights on social issues. That time has passed. The courts are very qualified to offer an interpretation on social mores. All requests to intervene that are made to the courts could result in the correct behaviour becoming normal in the society.

TEACHER STAND-OFF

The teachers, as reported by the Jamaica Teachers' Association, have adopted an uncooperative stand regarding a meeting with the MOE. The minister of education, in his recent contribution in Parliament, made reference to the state of the education ministry's finances. The teachers are not prepared to accept that the economic pie is shrinking. It is likely to continue to shrink for the immediate future.

However, the teachers are adamant that benefits they enjoy - which other workers in society can only dream of - are rights: getting paid to study in the area of your choice on the ministry's time and being reimbursed some of the cost. One year cumulative leave after seven years as a teacher, with pay. Accumulating sick leave days in addition to only working, in class, 190 days for the year. How?

The real significance of this must be viewed against the final outcome of these teachers' efforts. Dismal! A mediocre percentage of students graduate from high school with passes in five CSEC subjects, including English and mathematics. Students are completing five years of high school illiterate. Suddenly, apologists are blaming the deviant behaviour exhibited by the students, and lack of parental involvement. What is new? This has been a feature of the system for decades.

Today's crisis is a reflection of the lack of commitment to the education system when teachers transform the trunks of their vehicles into shops from which they sell to the captive student consumer. They use the tax-exempt authorisation for the school to purchase appliances, etc., for personal benefit and regard the bursar and principal as good when they facilitate these practices. They are deemed bad administrators when it is not allowed.

As a country, we need to do a serious study of the possible effects of performance pay for teachers, not just the annual increments. Teachers must be accountable. The nation cannot hope to achieve the desired results where teachers, at 24,000 strong, are primarily concerned with their union status. The infantile behaviour of chaining and padlocking school gates to highlight conflict is a reflection of the environment in which students are expected to excel.

Mr Minister, if you fail, this country will be at greater peril. There are good teachers in the system. Provide them with the atmosphere for their cohort to achieve more. ENOUGH OF WHAT POSES FOR AN EDUCATION SYSTEM TODAY! Oh for Central Branch and Age Quod Agis!

Ronald Mason is an immigration attorney/mediator. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and nationsagenda@gmail.com.