Dr. Jerry Jailall hasn’t done his homework

Dec 19, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

Dr. Jailall was kind enough to join the discussion on our education system and has suggested that “Guyana should probably be benchmarking its educational system to high achievers such as Singapore, not Caricom”.

He has also called the Common Entrance exams/NGSA “the root of educational evil as it is a colonial relic, kept alive by people who seem to be mentally lazy to reform that useless system”.

Usually, in order to obtain a doctorate one must also do immense levels of research. Unfortunately, Dr. Jailall did not overcome the mental laziness that he has accused others of when he proceeded to discredit the Common Entrance exams as “the root of educational evil”. If Mr. Jailall had taken the time to look at the educational system in Singapore he would have seen that they have the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), which is “an annual National examination that is taken by candidates at the end of their final year of primary school, in Singapore”. (Reference: Singapore Examination & Assessment Board) The PSLE is fundamentally similar to that of the NGSA in that it evaluates the level at which students are at in order to provide options for further education.

My impression is that Mr. Jailall is considering an educational system that is similar to the U.S. where students attend the schools based on their location. The US ran into problems which Guyana does not have. Mr. Jailall stated that Guyana has “one system for the gifted and more affluent, and another inferior system for the rest”. It is important to remember that students of all socioeconomic classes are placed in a school based on their performance in the NGSA. There is no homogeneous class system in place. This is the beauty of Guyana’s education system. It doesn’t matter where you live or how much wealth you have. A student’s placement in a school is determined by their ability. In the U.S., grade system schools are usually better where the affluent live due to the taxes collected from the area. To overcome the socioeconomic homogeneity of the student body, the school system in the U.S. had to bus students into different areas. This also aided in increasing racial diversity, due to the high correlation between race and wealth.

What Mr. Jailall has overlooked are the benefits of the NGSA and the investment strategy undertaken by Guyana over the years. Guyana had limited resources and many developmental needs. The government focused on providing access to education to everyone and due to the limited resources, the government also ensured that our top students were given the best opportunities possible with the little money available. A top student could come from any corner of the country, thus the use of the NGSA/Common Entrance exam to ensure that independent of their socioeconomic status, a top student could access the best education available. Fortunately, our nation has gained additional wealth that now allows for further investment in all schools across the country. This will ensure that the late bloomers and those who were unable to access the best facilities due to a few marks at the NGSA are also able to access a well-equipped educational facility.

I hope this helps clarify any inconsistencies in Dr. Jailall’s understanding and helps provide some clues as to what Singapore, which still pursues O-Levels, is doing. It is important to remember to show humility in one’s actions and words, especially when the mental laziness and cluelessness that you have accused others of may sit within yourself.

Best regards,

Mr. Jamil Changlee

(Dr. Jerry Jailall hasn’t done his homework)

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benchmarking, bus students, Education System, limited resources, NGSA/Common Entrance exam

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