Problem with our education system

THE EDITOR: For some time now, educators and others have expressed concern about the persistent problem of functional illiteracy, high dropout rates, under-achievement by boys, the content and relevance of our education curriculum, the vexing Concordat issue.

There is a developing discussion about improving the education system in our country. The Prime Minister has indicated that education reform is a priority for his new administration.

Apart from existing concern, various points of focus have arisen. One is the question of the SEA and the transition from primary to secondary education.

Like so many things, covid19 has forced a relook at the SEA largely because of the situation in which this year’s exam was held and the online resumption of school.

The new online year has also raised the issue of teaching methods and the policy manoeuvring that occurred re virtual teaching/learning that took place with the change of administration in 2015 and the rushed use of online teaching with the onset of anti-covid19 measures this year.

There are over 60,000 students without either devices or connectivity, we continue to be told.

So in the world of virtual teaching and the primary/secondary transition there is a common issue – inequity and inequality.

Both the SEA and virtual issues are of course tied with the problem of the curriculum (the content) of our education efforts.

Functions of education

* What is the purpose of our education system?

* What is its role in socialising our coming generations?

* What is it to contribute to our nation-building and development programme?

Without putting education in the context of the nation-building effort guided by national purpose, education will continue to meander as it has for our entire independence journey.

Without an economic development plan with clear objectives and critical performance indicators to allow evaluation and adjustment where necessary, how is education to fulfil part of its role, which is producing a workforce with the requisite capacity to operate that development plan and provide the productive capacity?

It is not enough to sentimentally speak of doing away with elitist education too focused on academics and certification.

What are the skill sets required for the human productive capacity needed to drive the economic development plan?

No economic development plan equals no manpower plan equals no education plan for the economic goals of the society.

Add to that the social development function of the nation-building project.

*How do we socialise our children to be the kind of citizens we need for that purpose?

* Is the mere inclusion of “civics” going to meet the requirement?

* How do we develop citizens who are conscious of and can fulfil their responsibilities in the spheres of the political, cultural and social life of the society (in addition to their economic contribution)?

The addition of educational services as an item of trade by the WTO in the 1990s has only added to the confusion by turning tertiary education into a commodity for export with the protections of trade law and threat of sanctions.

These questions are not new.

They were the questions confronting us when the Union Jack was about to be lowered for the last time. They were the questions put on the agenda in 1919, in 1937, through the decades of the 40s and 50s, in 1962 and 1970 and constantly since.

In 1962, an organisation – a non-party, yet profoundly political organisation – was founded by one Geddes Granger that involved a broad cross-section of the population in answering those questions.

That organisation was called Pegasus. By 1966, that organisation developed a nation-building plan called Project Independence. That plan and the entire work of Pegasus found no favour with a party-political leadership which claimed the “right” to determine such matters for the society.

In 2020, the fact that the very questions remain on the nation’s agenda points to the absolute necessity for our population to once again assert its right to determine how to build this nation and how to reinject the spirit of independence.

Hopefully, this time those in positions of power will not seek to erect obstacles in the path of the citizens’ efforts.

Hopefully, they will not attempt to claim dominion over decision-making and over the implementation and evaluation of the next phase of the nation-building project, as they are wont to do such things in the spirit of the privileges of office.

For the sake of our nation and our children, all citizens must join in the effort to define the future of our education system.

The people must press on and assert their right to do all manner of things for the good of the nation of which they are sovereign.

CLYDE WEATHERHEAD

via e-mail