Education – A call for serious reflection

(continued from last week)

This is a continuation of an article on education that I started last week.

My intention was mainly to bring attention to areas that need to be seriously looked at. I am not assuming that nothing is being done to address the shortcomings in these areas, but simply to call for a more urgent and holistic approach. I drew attention to the need to see education as a continuum so that no one area is emphasized at the expense of the others, because of the interrelationship that should exist.{{more}} Early childhood, particularly at what we call the Pre-school level, is still too disorganised and left largely in the hands of private operators, not all of whom are able to do justice to what is demanded. There is perhaps need for more regulations in this area. One of the major criticisms of the Primary level is that there are still too many students moving out of this level without having acquired basic literacy and numeracy skills.

At the Secondary level students need to be more exposed to the visual and performing arts. Many students who end up in the academic stream might be more equipped and comfortable in the technical stream. Then, of course, there is the information from the CXC Registrar that of students who completed the ‘secondary cycle’, only 30 percent were qualified to enter Tertiary level institutions. The Tertiary level institutions suffer from the quality of intake of students from the secondary level, particularly regarding their mastery of English and Mathematics. Additionally, an environment needs to be created that motivates and provides opportunities for persons to get into lifelong learning.

I have an interest in pre-school education and here I am of course referring to education before entry into the formal system. I am convinced that the experiences and exposure at this level will greatly impact on the quality of students we get into other levels and who graduate out of the system. Many of our students come from poor homes where they are not exposed to books and motivated to be creative. The television is still being used as a baby sitter and the young ones often are left to look at programmes that they should never be looking at. There is still the issue of baby talk, where some parents under-estimate the amount of learning that takes place at an early age and therefore do not give their children the necessary exposure. Pre-schools can provide these young ones with the kind of exposure that they need. The young ones also need to be introduced to learning in a fun way and hopefully the pre-schools will provide this kind of environment and approach.

Students then move into the formal primary system where many gaps and shortcomings exist and where learning is no longer fun. The environment is not learning friendly, especially in schools where classrooms are still separated by temporary barriers, in some cases chalk boards. The traditional blackboard situation still prevails. Learning ceases then to be fun. The creativity that is necessary at this level is missing, since the teacher, rather than being a facilitator, assumes the role of the traditional teachers pumping knowledge into the students’ heads. Very soon everyone gets caught up in preparing for the Common Entrance where so much is at stake and where the teachers and students are judged.

At the Secondary level, what matters is preparation for the CSEC exams. Even the introduction of the School Based Assessment projects needs to be looked at again. Students are sometimes encouraged to do projects that they really should not do and the approach leaves very much to be desired. I have often come across students hurriedly trying to put things together for a project that had to be handed in on the following day. There are many science laboratories that are underused because of the lack of teachers or lack of student interest. Then the tertiary level institutions suffer from the shortcomings of the secondary system.

Generally in many schools the environment needs to be more learning friendly. The available technology is not built into the system in any creative way. Creativity and critical thinking are largely absent and the teaching continues largely in the old style, with teacher being teacher rather than facilitator. The learning environment is far from being stimulating. A lot more emphasis needs to be put on English and Mathematics for all students, regardless of areas of focus. These should then become part of core subjects and a range of electives should be provided that cater to making the students well-rounded, and also to their interests. Remedial learning needs to be built into the system, particularly within the context of universal primary and secondary education and the gaps that exist in the system.

Many reports on Caribbean Education point to its irrelevance to the job market at all levels, so that often the student leaves at any level, but not really geared to meet whatever jobs might exist. And here is where the issue of lifelong learning becomes important, because after leaving the formal education system, whether successfully or not, there should be opportunities to allow graduates to continue their education in preparation for areas that might have suddenly caught their interest or based on what is available. With the rapid developments in technology and changes all around there is need for continued learning if one is to keep in step with rapid developments taking place globally. In fact, education has to do with the continuum from cradle to grave. The gender issue is one that needs a great deal of attention, because something has to be done to reduce the large numbers of males who are dropping out of the system, starting especially at the secondary level.

I am not underestimating what might have already been done to address problems within the system, but if we want to have a real revolution in education we have to do much more at all levels. I have only touched on some of the problems and challenges; many more exist and need to be addressed in a fundamental way. Do not assume that all is well.