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Board Games could help arrest decline in educational standards
By Rawle Welch
As Guyana continues to grapple with the scourge of falling educational standards, many are calling for a new approach that will encourage the re-introduction of sports and games in schools.
According to many observers, the decline in educational standards and the moral decay in society, especially among youths, are due mainly to the absence of a well-defined policy that encourages sports and games, thus leaving the youths in our society unprepared and unable to combat many of the negative influences that exist.
Many suggestions have been offered, particularly by those who experienced the period when a number of youths combined sports and academia with consummate ease, preferring to be constructively engaged rather than be consumed by negative activities.
The situation might have gotten to this stage due to the ambiguous posture of officials of the Ministries of Education and Sport in the previous administration. The two Ministries seemed to be unable to construct a clearly defined policy to return sports and games in schools and were often seen as heading in two different directions instead of working in tandem to eradicate deviant behaviour, an obstacle for improving or sustaining literacy levels.
Several conversations with the former Minister of Sport failed to bear fruit in terms of garnering support for constructive engagements with other relevant stakeholders. Research has proven that Sports and Games generally help to lift the level of literacy and this can eventually improve the economic and social standing of a society.
The benefits of introducing Board Games in schools are enormous and undeniable and the sooner we get them back into our learning institutions, the faster we’ll be able to check the slide in educational standards and other related negative developments.
Chess was able to make its way back into schools after the local governing body had approached the Sport Minister for support, but games such as Scrabble should be encouraged and given the necessary assistance to make a vibrant impact on the school’s curriculum.
The Minister had pointed out then that Chess was able to make a successful return to schools due of the determination of some members of the Federation, whose dedication ensured the game made a strong revival.
It must be noted that the Scrabble officials did make an attempt to get into schools; however, evidence has proven that it was not a success. While, not much has been heard of the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) recently, there are a few former members who’ve expressed concern about the state of affairs within our schools and are willing to dedicate some of their time to teach the game to teachers and students.
Our students are struggling in many areas of normal development and the re-introduction of Board Games could help excite their brain power. The yields are immeasurable it can assist in the development of linguistic intelligence, interpersonal skills, while also helping the person to think inductively and deductively as well as building interactive capabilities among others.
Another important benefit is the fact that Board games are a great way for family members to bond, relax and challenge their minds, components that are absent in many homes today.
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