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The so-called “Education system from Britain”
Dear Editor,
The 09/02/17 editorial in the Kaieteur News headed “New Learning Philosophy Needed” claimed that “we inherited an education system from Britain that is geared towards producing students to pass examinations but who are unable to demonstrate having learnt a skill or knowledge that can relate to their daily existence”. This kind of comment is not new; I have seen it in our media many times before and every time I see it I ask myself how come the schools I attended and taught at during the heyday of the British rule over ‘British Guiana’ were apparently not subjected to such seemingly inadequate, as reported: “education system from Britain”?
I attended the Blairmont Primary School in the 1940’s and I know for a fact that besides the regular ‘academic subjects’ the boys were required to do Gardening, Woodworking and Book-binding while the girls were required to do Sewing, Knitting, Cooking, Baking and housekeeping in addition to mandatory participation in sports and other physical activities. I still recall the joy and inspiration I got from the first BIG FAT TOMATO I reaped from my ‘school garden’ which was located next to the Estate’s Main Office close to the school. It left such a strong impression on me that ever since, my own kitchen garden has been an integral part of the locations wherever I lived in or out of Guyana, providing the surrounds were compatible for such activities.
I attended and subsequently taught at the Berbice Educational Institute in New Amsterdam where again, while the main focus was the academics in pursuit of passing the secondary school examinations (Cambridge School Certificate and London General College Examination (GCE), there was no deficiency or hindrance to the pursuit and development of personality, sports and life skills. I know of the many agriculturalists, engineers, lawyers, doctors, educators, managers and similar professionals who originally attended the schools, both primary and secondary, which I attended and taught at during the British regime over Guyana, so what’s the big deal about ‘the education system we inherited from the British’? Or, is this another ‘alibi’ for the perceived ‘shortcomings’ of our current educators?
Nowrang Persaud
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I agree. I was in school from 1945 to 1958. Primary Schools – Freiburg School (St Cyril’s Anglican, I think the correct name) and Lodge School – St Sidwell’s Anglican, then The Bishops’ High School.
In addition to the basic Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, we had singing, poetry and needlework and, limited, religious education in primary school. And always some free time for games like rounders or ring games. At Bishops’ there was singing, music appreciation, domestic science, art, physical education as well as netball, hockey and (short lived) tennis. In addition, there were plays put on by the students, and regular participation in the Guyana Music Festival. At one Music Festival a choir composed of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Formers even competed against what was then called the Old Girls Choir and other adult choirs in the Ladies Choir category – we placed second after the Old Girls Choir. And this despite the fact that as students in those forms we were all preparing for either the GCE Odinary Level or GCE Advanced Level exams – we arrived at school at 7.30 a.m. in order to practice.
We also had a school library (one fiction and one nonfiction book per week) and were encouraged to join the Public Free Library. And I should mention that we were expected to keep our classrooms tidy, with a rotating list of “monitors” whose task it was to ensure that no bits of paper were left scattered around, and that desks were all neatly aligned, with chairs turned up on the desks at the end of the school day, so that the cleaners could sweep the floors without having to shift furniture. Which, has nothing to do with passing exams, and everything to do with maintaining a clean environment, even if we did not recognize that at the time. (If the classroom was untidy the class could get a “bad mark” from any passing teacher, on the sheet that was pinned on the notice board of every room. And that, since every class was competing for a trophy at the end of each term, would involve the relevant pair of monitors in serious opprobrium from their classmates!)
Ah well, it’s easier to blame all our present shortcomings on colonialism.