IMPROVING PUBLIC EDUCATION

Jul 17, 2016 Editorial

While a few of the nation’s public schools are performing excellent and are achieving very good results at the CXC and National Grade Six, most are not. And it does not seem that things are going to improve anytime soon. The reason is that more mathematics and science teachers are leaving the public education system for jobs in the private schools and overseas in the Caribbean and the United States.
Indeed, the nation is already seeing the fall-out from the exit of mathematics and science teachers from the public school system. And while the rest of the world is literally controlled and run by technological advancements, the number of Guyanese students registering for subjects in the hard science and mathematics has decreased significantly. So too is the percentage of passes in examinations, especially the CXC.
The simple fact is the country needs well-trained and qualified teachers at all levels and in all subjects to educate our children who in return will help to develop the country.
Many who have supported the Minister of Education request for better wages for teachers are also concerned about our trained and qualified teachers leaving our shores for greener pastures. It will no doubt have a deleterious effect on children.
Over the years, the country has lost a great number of good Maths and science teachers. This has been a blow to the education system. But an even greater issue at hand is the fact that the nation risks losing many more if conditions do not improve. Most have agreed that teachers should be better paid. The teacher-student ratio should be much less in order to have better overall results.
It should be made clear that no one is blaming the teachers for seeking a way out, as this is a natural consequence of human existence, but many are perturbed by the numbers of those leaving and the fact that the country might lose even more.
The government has to provide some basic initiatives to reduce the brain drain, including offering scholarships with a bonding period attached, providing house lots and low cost loans for teachers to build their homes and regulate the overseas recruitment agencies to make sure that a suitable notice period is given to the Ministry of Education before teachers could leave.
These measures are all well and good but many believe that they are mere specks on the face of the problem. The bottom line is most teachers would like to have wages similar to their fellow teachers in the Caribbean.
The government must be made aware that much more monetary resources from the national budget need to be allocated to education. The reality is not all the sectors can get immediate reprieve from the budget, some sectors will have to wait a little longer.
It is true that the country has many pressing needs that warrant attention, but none more profound and urgent than the education of children.
It will be up to the government to find the fortitude necessary to make the tough decisions in the long-term interest of the children who are the future of the country.The ideal choice, of course, is that the country has enough well-paid mathematics and science teachers to make sure that a higher percentage of passes are obtained at the examinations.
Teacher training is a critical element in the delivery of quality education to children, but this can only happen if the math and science teachers are offered incentives so as not leave our shores.
Improving public education system has to be the focus of the government in both the short and long term.

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