A SMOOTH BEGINNING

Sep 09, 2016 Editorial, Features / Columnists

We commend all stakeholders who on Monday ensured a smooth beginning to the new school year. According to the Ministry of Education, with the exception of a few hiccups, all schools were opened and the first time students were made to feel comfortable in their new school environment. However, where facilities were not yet ready for use, alternatives were identified and all students were accommodated so as to ensure no loss of teaching time. This could well be a first for the Education department.
At the start of every term, there has always been the usual litany of complaints and problems, with schools not being ready or teachers being absent. This time around, however, the Education Minister, educators, principals, teachers and parents all worked together to ensure a positive start to the school year. The task now, however, will be for the stakeholders to employ the same or even a better formula to keep up this kind of excellent performance in coming years. The factors that led to the recent success were based on meaningful dialogue between all stakeholders.
While things went well in most schools, in some areas traffic disruptions caused some absenteeism. However, better coordination with the police in future could prevent roadblocks during the start and dismissing periods of schools in the city.
While the Ministry of Education and all stakeholders can commend themselves, they must not become complacent. They must continue to address some of the serious issues that remain at various schools. They must keep up the same levels of collaboration, communication and responsiveness throughout the year. But this must be done in the spirit of true alliance in which everyone is duly respected and the voices, particularly of our teachers, are allowed to be heard.
It should not be a rarity that schools open without hindrances. The authorities must continue to conduct routine maintenance checks on schools during the term so that repairs can be made if possible at the end of the school year. With an education review planned for next year based on the findings of the Commission of the State of the Education system, we must hope that everyone can build from this promising start.
The election storm is way behind us and now that the dust has settled, it is time for the ministers to get on with the business of the nation. And while we congratulate the new Minister of Education for doing an excellent job in steering the system in a relatively new direction in just over a year, we certainly must not forget the embarrassing missteps of the past. We must acknowledge the changes that the minister has brought to the task of providing a pleasant school environment for students.
Unfortunately, there can be no honeymoon period for the minister; he must address the compelling issues currently facing the education system if we are to achieve high standards in delivering quality educational services to the youths.
Among these issues are an education master plan that clearly articulates the role of education in fulfilling the national development agenda; upgrading of the inadequate school plans for delivering a 21st century education; a new holistic curriculum aimed at improving the pass rate in mathematics and the other sciences; the prevention of the high rate of school drop-outs in the country; and a thrust towards a more inclusive education system that embraces all of our diversity and provides opportunities for the excluded and marginalized.
Parents and teachers must be engaged in the process so that their concerns and contributions are valued and allowed to factor in the policy framework. We must strive for more smooth beginnings.

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