Phillips dreams of a better education system

FORMER PEOPLE’S National Party (PNP) President, Dr Peter Phillips, says he would like to see a system in Jamaica where every child is guaranteed a first-rate education in which they are competent in mathematics, English, and the sciences, irrespective of the school they attend.

Speaking at the East Central St Andrew constituency conference at Half-Way Tree Primary School on Sunday, Phillips said that that is the education system that PNP founder, Norman Manley, envisioned and what the country must strive to achieve.

Boasting that every school in the constituency has been upgraded since he has been member of parliament, Phillips said he was particular happy when Norman Manley High School won the Manning Cup (football competition) and also the inter-secondary schools debating competition.

Norman Manley High was established in 1969, then as a junior secondary school before being upgraded to secondary (high school) status.

Upgraded high schools such as Norman Manley High are rated by some persons as being below traditional high schools in academics and also in sports.

But according to Phillips: “I want to imagine and I would love to see a Jamaica where no matter which school you went to, every child would be guaranteed a first-rate education competent in mathematics, English, the sciences and in the sports and debating, whether it was Campion, KC, JC, George’s, Norman Manley or Tarrant school. That is the Jamaica which Norman Manley envisioned and that is the Jamaica which we must bring about.”

When the school won the Manning Cup in 1996, it marked a significant achievement for upgraded high schools, none of which had won the competition, played for by urban high schools since 1909.

Norman Manley High went on to win the competition two more times.

Apart from victory in debating competition, the school has also won the Jamaica Public Service’s Science and Technology Exposition, proving its academic prowess.

Phillips said he was pleased for persons who benefited from education programmes implemented by the People’s National Party.

“But God knows, I imagine a Jamaica where September morning back-to-school doesn’t have to cause trauma, fear, upset and worry in the hearts of the mothers and fathers of the country because man and woman will have work and will be able to meet what expenses are, and education will be genuinely free and affordable for all, no matter which school you’re going to. I dream of that Jamaica,” Phillips said.