Among the most aggravating and exasperating features of Trinidad's population is the alarming speed with which we rush to make strong pronouncements based on headlines in the print media or sound bites in the electronic media. Seldom do we have regard for the contextual situation or the details of any issue. The tendency to generate emotional statements, outbursts and expressions is counter productive to rational and logical discourse and debate. Hasty judgments, generalisations and flawed arguments replace objective, imperial and dispassionate debate. The gathering of evidence and ana-lysed data to support our views are alien to many. The recent assertions by the Minister of Education, Dr Tim Gopeesingh, and Minister Vasant Bharath have been misinterpreted and misconstrued (deliberately in some instances) to such an extent that meaningful discussion on the issues has been largely absent. As a significant stakeholder in the education system, the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha has carefully and clinically analysed Dr Gopee-singh's statements on the effects of disorganised, chaotic and arbitrary interventions by several groups, firms, organisations and institutions and individuals in the education system.
The three most expressed views on this issue are:
1) Students need extra curricular activities to develop their all-round potential; 2) Principals should have the right to determine their involvement in competitions, events and activities; and 3) teachers are not prepared to sacrifice their family and personal lives by participating in extra-curricular activities outside of regular school hours. However, we need to consider these three arguments in the context of loss of classroom instruction hours, and therein has been Dr Gopeesingh's concern. For those familiar with our education system, it is common knowledge that we have one of the most ineffective and inefficient education systems in the world. We also produce overall poor results in examinations and surveys. National Test, SEA, CSEC and CAPE provide abundant testimony of the underperformance of our students. It is therefore mandatory for the Education Minister to grasp the opportunity to correct the deficiencies or it will continue as we have for decades. It is time to rid the education system of its dysfunctionality.
Transformation, change and transition are traumatic for some people, but are also inevitable in charting a path of progress. We all need to support the thrust of the minister in producing a more robust and effective education system. The Education Act confers extensive powers and responsibilities to the minister, and Dr Go-peesingh is right to exercise these powers and responsibilities. While students have 195 days or 39 weeks of school, the reality is that a high percentage of teaching time annually is lost due to public holidays, special holidays (principal's day off), 28 days occasional and sick leave for teachers, flooding and other crises, internal and external examinations, sports days, bazaars and monthly staff meetings (10 half days), melas, bank time, Carnival preparations and activities, and a huge spectrum of activities by external entities. This list is not conclusive. In such a scenario, it is imperative for Dr Gopeesingh to act decisively to restore order and disci- pline in extra-curricular involvement to ensure our students core is not compromised.
A significant number of interventions by external stakeholders are of dubious merit. Rather, they are for the promotion of company brands and products, and are for advertising purposes. Attention to students is purely incidental. In most instances these entities do not conduct research of what is required, why it is required, to whom it should be directed or what sound methodology is necessary. Additionally, they do not conduct evaluations or prepare reports for schools, boards and the Ministry of Education to determine the effect of the antitheses. Furthermore, many of the interventions are not based on sound curriculum practices and are entirely promotional in nature. The minority of corporate social responsibility projects add more value to the education system since they conform to identifiable outcomes. Dr Gopeesingh is also right to exercise the powers in defining policy for the Ministry of Education. This cannot be left to individual principals to determine. A Ministry of Education policy in this regard will remove ambiguity in involvement and participation by schools.
In board and government schools there are several teachers who consider it part of their duty to engage in extra-curricular activities outside of school hours. This doesn't occur every day or frequently. Involvement outside of school hours can be rotated among members of staff and should not cause dislocation and inconvenience to teachers. We simply cannot afford to continue producing underachieving students. Another fundamental point that is missed is that most of these interventions are integral to the school curriculum. For example, public speaking debates and essay writing are part of English A and B syllabus; art and performing arts are covered in the visual and performing arts syllabus; sports is part of the physical education syllabus; health-related activities are part of the sciences syllabus etc. It is not as though students are deprived from involvement in these areas and suffer all-round development.
Satnarayan Maharaj is the secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha