We are being encouraged to attend town hall-type meetings to discuss a new paradigm for education on the island, yet there is now in circulation a document for teachers' response which is suggesting a completely new format for the school year beginning with this current term. So much for our input.
Meanwhile, I note with interest that both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education have made reference to a proposal I made some years ago, namely, that secondary schools should work towards becoming centres of excellence.
Here is another thought: the most significant change in education is really the need to revert to an old habit – no child should leave primary school unable to read and exhibit some level of comprehension; unable to count and compute to a reasonable level; unable to write a number of sentences which express an extended thought and unable to verbally express himself or herself in reasonably adequate English.
Indeed, I believe that much of the vulgarity of what passes for conversation these days is due mainly to a paucity of language skills. We have for too long neglected the foundation in education. We need to get back to basics and start rebuilding from the nursery and primary level.
It is almost as if somebody – not in developing countries – decided to "Tek" education.
Starting in the 1960s it was the transistor, then the early adopters held sway, along came video, up shot distance education, next the computer and cell phone; each in its own time was to solve all of our developmental needs and fulfil the demands of the slogan No Child Left Behind.
We must now determine that no child's behind should just be warming the chair until the he/she is old enough to "tek" somebody.
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