A flawed analysis of the education system

Apr 14, 2010 Letters

---

Dear Editor,
I am usually impressed with the level of professionalism reflected in editorial articles.  They are most times characterized by a level of analysis which implies extensive research and a sincere attempt to be thorough and fair.
It appears however, that the desire for cheap, sensational taglines, which to-date have been relegated to the front pages of the newspaper are now creeping into the editorials of Kaieteur News, as reflected in the Kaieteur News April 01, 2010 editorial “15,000 semi-literates each year”.
I must point out here that the piece is not totally bereft of positive elements.  It raises the critical issue of literacy in the society, a chronic national and regional issue which needs our constant attention.  Beyond that however, there is little that is praise-worthy.
The editor displays a total lack of understanding of the education system, with a baseless and flawed analysis.
Firstly, if we are to have a substantive discussion of the issue of literacy we must place the focus on primary education; that is a key part of its mandate.  We must take a candid look at our primary schools and the systems which are in place to ensure our students attain the established standards at that level, and where they fail to, seek answers and potentials solutions.
The sad reality is that despite the fact that the editor seems to think that the National Grade Six Assessment is identical to all of its predecessors, nothing could be further from the truth.  This assessment is the final installment of a continuous assessment programme which, as I have stated many times before, is structured to ensure that we are not engaged in such a debate so late in the game.
The editor, and everyone else for that matter, should be fully aware that these pupils would have already had two previous assessments at grades two and four.  As such, the issue of the literacy level of this cohort should have been addressed by teachers, parents, pupils and other education stakeholders, at least two years ago and the necessary steps to correct any deficienciesimplemented.  This is the key to making the systems in place work and where the attention and emphasis should be placed.  More teachers and parents should heed the early warnings emerging from these assessments and ensure that focused interventions are planned and instituted to address any deficiencies.  It will take a collective effort to reverse the status quo, requiring more communication between teachers, parents and pupils in devising ways in which we can improve the overall competence levels of pupils in this area as early as possible.
In addition to the range of other literacy-related interventions, the Ministry of Education has indicated that it is instituting the literacy certification component of the Grade Four Assessment.  This will inform all stakeholders as to the literacy levels of our pupils at an early enough stage to correct any potential problems before they complete the primary cycle.
Until then, there is honestly no objective means of pronouncing on the literacy levels of our pupils and any attempt to do so without empirical evidence, such as the figures arbitrarily arrived at by the editor, is either a malicious attempt to disparage the efforts of all those who toil tirelessly within our classrooms daily or just recklessness.
On another note, the placement of students at the secondary level is based on performance and as such, regardless of the overall literacy levels of students, a large percentage of our students will not end up in sixth-form schools.
To therefore suggest that just because a student does not end up in one of these schools he/she is illiterate and has been discarded to the “garbage pile” is just idiotic and insulting.  If all of our students were literate, the sad reality is that there is simply a limited number of seats at our sixth-form schools.
I submit that there are positive elements in all of our secondary schools which can ensure that students therein emerge as competent, productive young adults.  The underlying problem, which really should be the focus here, is the fact that the stigma of “good and bad schools” still persists.
The undervaluing of Technical and Vocational endeavors within the wider society exacerbates the problem.  The editor should use his esteemed office in furthering the call to parents and others with a vested interest in education to play a greater role in ensuring that the systems which are in place are effectively implemented and a stronger commitment to the improvement of the education system is shared by all.
We all stand to benefit from such efforts.
Olato Sam

Editor’s note: The writer misses the point. The fact that most of the children writing the examinations are incapable of reading and even writing is mind-boggling. The editorial never criticized those who access the secondary schools, good or bad as they are.
And the editor was a teacher, a trained teacher who attended the Government Teachers’ Training College, acceding to the post of senior master during his tenure.
He has written and even challenged the establishment to the point of getting the architects to recognize that there is need to put good teachers at the basic levels rather than concentrating those who demonstrate a propensity for learning.

---

---