Some comments about the education system

Mar 30, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
It will be remiss of me not to make comments on article “The Strategic Plan Responsible for Increases in CSEC: English, Mathematics passes – Education Ministry” S.N. Feb 9, 2011.
I wish to express how concerned I was as I read the article. An analysis of the findings has revealed quite disturbing results indeed.  The Minister of Education’s release to a recent forum disclosed the following results.
1.    CSEC Examination Results as per five- year Strategic Education Plan
a.    English and Mathematics – 60% overall pass rate
b.    English Pass rate – Grades 1-3 jumped from 50% in 2009 to 59% in 2010 – way above the targeted 50% in 2009 – 2013 Education Strategic Plan
c.    Mathematics improving from 30% in 2009 to 35% in 2010 bringing it closer to 40% benchmark set in the Plan
His comments: Despite this, the Ministry continues to implement a range of measures to produce more improvements this year. CDs with complete lessons in Mathematics and English at CSEC level have been submitted to all schools. Resource personnel at NCERD have been assigned to work with schools that need assistance in these two areas and that head teachers have been asked to allocate more time to these two subjects at Grade 2 if needed.
2.    National Grade Six Assessment.
Pupils who have gained 50% and more were as follows
a.    Mathematics         21% in 2009 to 34% in 2010
b.    Science         23% in 2009 to 33% in 2010
c.    Social Studies        33% in 2009 to 34% in 2010
d.    English(declined 3%)    27% in 2009 to 24%
(Continued on page 23)Dear Editor,
It will be remiss of me not to make comments on article “The Strategic Plan Responsible for Increases in CSEC: English, Mathematics passes – Education Ministry” S.N. Feb 9, 2011.
I wish to express how concerned I was as I read the article. An analysis of the findings has revealed quite disturbing results indeed.  The Minister of Education’s release to a recent forum disclosed the following results.
1.    CSEC Examination Results as per five- year Strategic Education Plan
a.    English and Mathematics – 60% overall pass rate
b.    English Pass rate – Grades 1-3 jumped from 50% in 2009 to 59% in 2010 – way above the targeted 50% in 2009 – 2013 Education Strategic Plan
c.    Mathematics improving from 30% in 2009 to 35% in 2010 bringing it closer to 40% benchmark set in the Plan
His comments: Despite this, the Ministry continues to implement a range of measures to produce more improvements this year. CDs with complete lessons in Mathematics and English at CSEC level have been submitted to all schools. Resource personnel at NCERD have been assigned to work with schools that need assistance in these two areas and that head teachers have been asked to allocate more time to these two subjects at Grade 2 if needed.
2.    National Grade Six Assessment.
Pupils who have gained 50% and more were as follows
a.    Mathematics         21% in 2009 to 34% in 2010
b.    Science         23% in 2009 to 33% in 2010
c.    Social Studies        33% in 2009 to 34% in 2010
d.    English(declined 3%)    27% in 2009 to 24%
in 2010 His Comments:   Remediation
Institutionalised continuous remediation in Maths and English at both Primary and Secondary schools
An interpretation of the above results reveals that of every 100 students –Check (a) the percentage passed and (b) the percentage failed.  The focus seems to be on numbers (figures) rather than on human beings.  The low expectation is alarming
There seems to be a significant relationship between the results obtained at Grade 6 and that obtained at CSEC.
It is my view that when teachers find themselves in a situation when they are expected to follow programmes built on assumption or questionable assessments they realize that there is difficulty appreciating national expectations.  Without doubt, teachers know the road to freedom is professional competencies learnt through diligent pursuits of professional growth.
However, as more educational policies are being made by fewer people, it is paramount that the Ministry should be a reasoned voice of professional as it relates to literacy, learning and teaching generally.  With more and more emphasis being placed on high stake examinations, rigidly prescribed instructional material and top-down dictated, directed staff development, common sense seems to have been thrown out of the window.
To use a quote from Dr. Ian Mc Donald – Stabroek News January 18 2009 “We are lost without the right people. … Nothing worthwhile can be achieved without the right people. Problems are solved by people not millions of dollars. In the wrong hands the shiniest new machinery is like a load of old scrap.”
He further stated that “No plan, however beautifully formulated, however well funded, and however persuasively presented has a chance of success without the people to implement it.”
The Minister of Education is almost talking himself hoarse as regards the situation in schools; School children’s behaviour , teachers’ and children’s attendance at school, head teachers’ apparent lack of supervision, R.Ed.Os’ and E.Os ‘ lack of management, examination results, the examination syndrome     (Grades 2,4 , 6, Literacy certificate, Grade 9) migration of teachers, importation of teachers etc.
The nation is fed daily diets of negativity as regards our educational achievement.  The Minister’s apparent concern is indicative of what had been identified decades ago but solutions which were attempted then were aborted.
In Guyana at the time of identification of the general problem the slogan had been “Education is in Crisis.” This was heard from educators, industrialists, parents and the children themselves.
Today despite the fact that there are more complicated teaching aids, more ‘trained’ teachers on average children have still been failing to learn to read, write, think and express themselves enough to cope with the demands of modern living.
Education was in crisis then and almost four decades hence, the situation has grown worse e.g. weapons in school, children attacking children, children’s negative responses to authority, teachers expressing their inability to cope with the situation and an institutionalized rounding up of children through the streets and homes.
Couldn’t schooling re assessment results have a significant relationship with the deviant behaviours of some children and youths?  Serious repercussion maybe revealed later in the form of truancy, violent behaviours etc.  Conversely, there are some parents who have fallen through the cracks also.
The decade of the (1970s) was a period of escalating educational changes in Guyana.  Data over a number of years had indicated that a large number of students, both at primary and secondary levels, were unable to benefit from instruction both at the academic and vocational fields, because of resulting poor performance especially as readers, writers, speakers  and thinkers.
Deficiencies and progress in the education system as a whole were identified and scientific advances were promoted to meet these needs. The view of the Ministry then was to return to common sense and accept the fact that there was an organization of top notch professionals who were accepted as such.  The Ministry became more flexible and worked more closely with affiliates/colleagues.
It was the Ministry’s view then that there was a unique organizational structure with well developed intervention techniques.  The concern then was holistic (across the board) attempt at an intervention of the whole system which was initiated and implemented at the Curriculum Development Centre (Unit) which was staffed for the purpose.
The Ministry’s aggressive leadership role focused on the entire official resources which were available. The following programmes were undertaken simultaneously.
The CHS Programme, Free Nursery Education Programme (1976) Production and Distribution of Timehri Reading Programme Grades 1-3 (1976) Production and Distribution of Mathematics Texts Levels 1-3 (1976) Survey of Teaching Practices Grades 1-6 (1974)  undertaken by GTU, CPCE Students and Curriculum Workers.
Multilateral School Programme (Pilot Bygeval) President’s College Programme (Principal Oswald Kendall) Med Programme (developed for Training of Trainers by Dr. D. Broomes (consultant and other Resource Personnel).  Personnel from all existing Education Institutions participated in the activities listed above; National Service Programme was also in existence replacing Youth Corps.
The intention of the Ministry of Education from the outset was to develop a Pilot Project (Experimental Programme) which would have had research as well as service implications for under achievers.  The primary consideration therefore was to develop a programme that would be flexible and relevant to disadvantaged students who might have been displaced, neglected, misplaced as a result of inferior instructions, inadequate school facilities, social deprivations and an unwillingness of school to provide adequate programme associated with disadvantaged students in general.
From the findings which were scientifically investigated the following seemed obvious: The underachieving learner’s disadvantaged personality in which most of the social and cultural variables necessary for human development were absent. It is claimed that as long as the personality of such learners remain what it has been in terms of influence of negative forces within the environment they will remain an alien in and a burden to society if , negative self concept ( concept of self) is not adequately addressed.
The personality of the disadvantaged learner should be changed. In short the disadvantaged learner must be helped to recognize, accept and seek his or her human potentialities through carefully experienced situation.
It is my sincere hope that the Ministry of Education, Teaching Service Commission, Faculty of Education (UG) Public Service Ministry/Public Service Commission, Ministry of Human and Social Services identify their roles and act as a team with clear understanding of what it means to educate a child.
With scientific investigation and intelligent advice our education system will be improved and the nation’s children will benefit tremendously.
Jean E Bovell.

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