Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
Continuing the  Education Conversation
Dr. Fraser- Point of View
May 24, 2019

Continuing the Education Conversation

At this time of year, the issue of education is very much in the air as students write their local and regional examinations. Last week I tried to look critically at the CPEA which has replaced the Common Entrance. I do not write because I think I have the answers, but to encourage a conversation. As a public we mouth this idea of Education Revolution but have never stopped to ask what it means. Moreover, we assume that there have been fundamental changes and that everything is fine with the system. The revolution, so-called, really means easy access from primary to secondary education. But really what is needed is a radical and pervasive shift in the colonial system that we inherited.

Since we attained independence, 40 years ago, the world with which we have to interact has changed fundamentally. Technology is at the heart of that change. The system under which many of us grew up and were educated is ill-suited for the challenges of today’s world. More than ever education incorporates a system that goes from the cradle to the grave. Changes have been so rapid that a lot of what we learn at school becomes outdated even as we leave the school gates. Very little is final. We can no longer pump ourselves with knowledge that we are prepared to regurgitate but have to develop other tools and skills. A lot of learning takes place outside the formal education system. Persons regardless of their profession or trade have to be constantly retooled because so much is changing within their field of endeavour. Critical and independent thinking become high priority. Beside changes in one’s particular field, the possibility exists of moving into unrelated fields.

Comprehension and creativity have become key elements. In a society and at a time when jobs are scarce both in the government and private sectors, entrepreneurship must be encouraged.

In our society we still think that we have to become doctors or lawyers and in more recent times, economists, and management specialists. When one looks at career days where students dress in the garb of the profession to which they aspire, the focus is usually on the established fields. One cannot blame them because this is the extent of their exposure. Many things have to be put in place at all levels. Government in their development plans have to look in say, 10- 20- year spans and determine what the job requirements are likely to be, and this should be communicated to the students so that they have a context in which they could begin to plan their future. We still see technical education as an area into which the ‘not so bright’ students go. If this was so at one time, it certainly isn’t so today because in these areas advanced skills and learning are demanded. The motor mechanic today cannot operate like those of the past. A lot is computerised, and technology is driving this area. If a child has a passion for a particular technical field parents still, try to dissuade and encourage him to go into an area that they felt was more ‘respectable’ and ‘glamorous’. Additionally, today these areas are high paying and in great demand. Our methods of teaching and the whole teaching environment have to be transformed. The ‘chalk and blackboard’ setting should become something of the past. Students have to be encouraged to develop their creativity and to become confident and independent learners and be allowed to follow their passion.

Stop looking for bragging rights by encouraging students to do a ridiculous number of courses for their examinations. There is still too much emphasis on acquiring paper qualifications and too little on providing students with the skills that will allow them to function in a world that continues to be changing at a rapid pace.

Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    Domestic worker killed at Long Wall
    Front Page
    Domestic worker killed at Long Wall
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    FAMILY MEMBERS of a woman who was killed at Long Wall say they suspect their relative was hacked by a person they all know very well. On Tuesday, Sept...
    NDP never built a single house in SVG – Finance Minister
    Front Page
    NDP never built a single house in SVG – Finance Minister
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    THE IDEA THAT HOUSING is a right, that every Vincentian has a right to safe and secure housing, and that the government has a role to play in ensuring...
    No bail for Police officer charged with attempted murder
    Front Page
    No bail for Police officer charged with attempted murder
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    A POLICE OFFICER, who allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend 26 times about her body was remanded even as his lawyer argued that the Royal St Vincent and...
    New ULP Administration will roll out AI policy
    Front Page
    New ULP Administration will roll out AI policy
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    A NEW UNITY LABOUR PARTY ADMINISTRATION will be rolling out an Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy to embrace its positives and guard against the nega...
    Sandy Bay Secondary School marks 20th Anniversary
    Front Page
    Sandy Bay Secondary School marks 20th Anniversary
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 9,2025 was a memorable day for the staff and students of the Sandy Bay Secondary School, which was marking its 20th anniversary wi...
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    News
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    THE ASHLEY LASHLEY Foundation, with support from the United States Government, is implementing a local-level project entitled “Community-Driven Strate...
    News
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    News
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    THE ASHLEY LASHLEY Foundation, with support from the United States Government, is implementing a local-level project entitled “Community-Driven Strate...
    Skills not available locally, non-nationals have to be hired says Finance Minister
    News
    Skills not available locally, non-nationals have to be hired says Finance Minister
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    NON- NATIONALS ARE being hired to fill several jobs in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) simply because locals did not have the required skill sets....
    Montgomery Daniel squashes rumours that he’s sick
    News
    Montgomery Daniel squashes rumours that he’s sick
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER Montgomery Daniel has sought to clear around rumours that have been circulating relating to his health. Speaking on NBC radio on...
    $1.3 billion in Tourism investment to yield 2,000 jobs – Camillo
    News
    $1.3 billion in Tourism investment to yield 2,000 jobs – Camillo
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    The GOVERNMENT of St Vincent and the Grenadines is set to sign agreements for tourism investment of $1.3 billion on mainland St.Vincent. On Monday, Se...
    Bagga’ man pleads guilty to illegal gun, ammo possession
    From the Courts, News
    Bagga’ man pleads guilty to illegal gun, ammo possession
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    A BARROUALLIE MAN will be sentenced next week after pleading guilty to being in illegal possession of a firearm and eight rounds of ammunition. Demron...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok