Education Paramount For Nation Building

Aug 23, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
It was published in the Stabroek News of August 5th, that the Hon. Minister of education, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine, disclosed that he intends to discard parts of the National Grade Six assessment process. A release from GINA reported the Minister as saying, “ The accumulation of points at Grade Two and Four, I am looking to eliminate. It shouldn’t be.” He said scores earned at these exams are there to serve only as a guide to teachers, so they have a fair idea of areas they need to focus with students.
I am in full agreement with the Hon. Minister, who is an eminent scholar and educationist. The present system encourages very young children to develop the habit of cramming and regurgitating information for the sole purpose of acquiring best scores for exam qualification. This learning by rote method may unwittingly result in premature study burn-out, create a disinterest in classroom activities and perhaps lead to early school dropout. It also impresses the idea on young minds that the objectives of school life are to secure good grades, pass exams and get qualified. I hasten to state that I am not attempting to minimize the importance of those objectives. Indeed they form part of the mandate of the education system. However, there are other pursuits and requirements that also need attention e.g. Sports, Music Dance and Poetry, Culture related programmes, Creativity, Developing self confidence along with social skills, Discovering personal skills and Fostering proper interactions with other students, peers and those persons in authority.
Most importantly, the system should not neglect Intellectual Development which is pivotal for Human Development. Intellectual Development opens the portals of the mind to analytical thinking which stimulates logical, profound and wholesome thought patterns. Ultimately, these manifestations are the true measure of education.
The process of getting oneself Qualified and getting oneself Educated, though inherently different in concept, nevertheless, should not run along parallel tracks but rather on converging paths, inevitably merging into a unified system. This combination enables an individual to achieve and give of his / her maximum potential, not only for the good of self, but also for the benefit of his / her society, country and perhaps the wider world.
The views of Martin Luther King Jr. on this subject are articulated in the book entitled ‘ The Words Of Martin Luther King Jr. selected by Coretta Scott King’. Quote: “ Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal and the facts from the fiction. The function of education therefore is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops at efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason but no morals. We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character ——— That is the goal of true education.” Unquote.
Lloyd H Marshall

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News