Senior Reporter
akash.samaroo@cnc3.co.tt
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s criticism of this country’s education system is welcome news for both teachers and parents.
Speaking at the Breakfast with Dr Keith Rowley at the Hilton Trinidad on Wednesday, the PM blamed automatic promotion to secondary school for thrusting unprepared students into a system where they cannot cope with the curriculum. He added that this inevitably leads to some becoming disinterested in education and instead turning to a life of crime.
Commenting on this yesterday, T&T Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) president Martin Lum Kin said it was about time the Prime Minister acknowledged that the education system is broken. Lum Kin said they had publicly called on previous governments to engage in a national discussion on this matter.
“We continue to foster a colonial education system that promotes elitist ideals, which condemns some of our children to failure and which neither caters to the needs of some of our children nor the nation as a whole,” Lum Kin said.
One of the major issues, he said, is that teachers are not trained to deal with the needs of students who are not motivated through conventional means of education.
“The fact that we promote functionally illiterate students throughout the primary system and then to the secondary system, is a result of the lack of adequate resources at the schools, trained and qualified professionals who can render meaningful interventions at the earliest opportunity. Teachers are not equipped to diagnose and remediate the various aspects of learning disabilities or psychological/social issues affecting our students.”
Likewise, National Parent Teachers Association (NPTA) president Kevin David said the issue raised by the Prime Minister has been on their radar for quite some time.
David told Guardian Media, “While we acknowledge the work we would have done with the implementation of after-school centres, and other supporting mechanisms to help bridge that gap for our students and the work of the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders in education, there is a need for comprehensive reform that transcends mere remedial measures.”
David added that their vision must encompass an educational landscape that promotes a passion for learning and critical thinking.
But Minister of Education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly yesterday told Guardian Media that moves are already in place to address some of the shortfalls identified by the Prime Minister.
When asked what is being done for those who are struggling to grasp academic material, Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said, “Currently, students under the age of 13 who score under 30 per cent are made to re-sit SEA, and students can also defer taking the SEA, once they are below the age of 13.
“In a few cases each year, some students are seamlessly placed at vocational schools, ie, without examination, where the chances of success are very slim, and the parent agrees to this arrangement. In addition, students are placed at vocational centres through the SEA process.”
However, she said to deal with the larger issue of student achievement in the academic year 2022/2023, the ministry started a remedial programme called “Re-engaging for Success.” This was piloted in 106 schools, 80 primary and 26 secondary institutions.
“The varied initiatives under that programme target the students who need additional support and preparation for secondary school, as well as the students who were placed in secondary schools and need support there to achieve success in certification,” the Minister explained.
Going forward, Gadsby-Dolly added that it is her intention to extend the programme for at least five more years.
“The implementation of the programme was approved for one year, but to make any measurable impact, it needs to be instituted over the course of at least five years. Therefore, approval is going to be sought for a longer period of implementation. The aim is to significantly increase the preparation of our primary school students for secondary education.”