Our failing schools

EDITOR: Hiding the report cards for our schools is not helpful in any way. The public needs a comprehensive report on the performance of all our schools. Our children are our future, and we need to know how well they are being prepared to successfully face it. What we see is what we get. The public indicators tell the truth about what is happening.

Broken furniture, unkept school surroundings, overgrown and dirty play areas paint a picture of disorder, and ill-discipline. Late arrivals of staff and students indicate that punctuality is not important, and the planned program is not being accomplished.

The conversation of students on the road and the way they carry themselves in their uniforms indicate the impact of the school on their deportment. Students hanging out late at night on the street, with some drinking and smoking in rum shops, may be an indication that homework is not being done and they are not being held accountable.

The consent age being at 15 years is not a license for illicit activities to occur at school with impunity.

Why can’t the school guarantee success of the students one subject at a time? What does it take for everyone to be proficient in English, our mother tongue?

Wouldn’t it be worth it to ensure that all students can add, subtract, multiply, divide, and meet the maximum standards in Math? Schooling is not trial, and error and the deployment of certain classroom instructions will guarantee the kind of results we desire. What are our schools doing to ensure the success of our students?

Anthony G. Stewart, PhD