Blame MP for Balaclava blues
Published:Saturday | November 19, 2011 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
In the year 2004, a survey by Dr Dennis Minott of the 2003 CXC results showed Balaclava High School rated above Black River High, St Thomas Technical, St Elizabeth Technical, Holmwood Technical, Vere Technical, Dinthill Technical and St George's College, among some other schools.
Today, Balaclava High has regressed and is below all these schools. Balaclava High had an E rating based on Minott's assessment. Coincidentally, the same arguments that were used to justify the poor performance of the F-rated schools are being repeated today.
All the principals who commented on the report said the main factors that influenced the poor-performing schools were a lack of parental support for the students and the quality of students they received based on the GSAT results. The principals then all agreed that many students who were sent to these schools could not read.
They said Minott's findings were flawed because he looked at the end results and didn't track the students over the years.
Now in 2011, vice-principal of Balaclava High, Lenvas Cole, makes the same assertion. "We generally get the bottom of the pile from the Grade Six Achievement Test." Nothing has changed. Eight years later, Balaclava High has been declared a failure. Minott had claimed that the F-rated schools "lacked leadership and vision".
In eight years, Balaclava and the surrounding communities haven't changed much. The socio-economic conditions have deteriorated during the recession, but one thing stands out spectacularly: the total lack of political leadership. Because of this, the constituency's infrastructure, including schools, has suffered.
While Kern Spencer continues to draw a salary, we suffer; his substitute, Basil Waite, seems unable to garner majority support, and the governing JLP caretaker is redundant. This must be the only constituency in Jamaica that has been without a functioning member of parliament for four years.
If Balaclava had a performing member of parliament and a worthwhile opposition representative, despite the quality of GSAT entrants, the extra classrooms the school needs would have been constructed. This would help in reducing class size, which is a critical factor in student performance. Then students with psychological and behavioural problems could be assessed and given critical help.
MARK CLARKE
Siloah PO, St Elizabeth