Dear Editor,
I write in relation to the ongoing issue at my alma mater, Wismar Christianburg Secondary (Multilateral) School where I started my high school education. I wish to congratulate Mr Cleveland Thomas (whom I know personally) for the position he has taken, on the grounds of conscience, not to promote students who have achieved less than 15% of the required marks. His position has at least focused attention on a bigger problem that requires a longer term solution.
I have to take issue with two things:
One is that these students are being referred as ‘illiterates’ by the media. They are reportedly only in Form 1. If these students were successful at the Grade Six Assessment they could hardly be truly illiterate. It is a word with strong pejorative connotations, and in my opinion, should not have been used. These students are still young and have great chances ahead.
My greatest concern though, is with the fact these students are seemingly being forced by the entire education system and their parents to pursue a form of education which they may not be suited for. If this is the case, then the problem is not with the students but with the system. It is unfortunate that in Guyana, most of us think that an education has to be an academic one.
It is possible to think that these students and others, who repeatedly fail the standard academic courses should be pursuing an organised curriculum in subjects such as music, interior designing, fashion designing, landscaping, painting, etc. As they go along, they can be taught and can acquire at least basic and required competency in Maths and English, and reading. Several persons develop full literacy later rather than early in life.
Guyana is yet far from establishing at least one school dedicated to this sort of child whose aptitude is not in the standard academic curriculum, but in one of these artistic areas. This is something that the Education Ministry must fast track. If no child will be left behind, we must cater for differences in aptitude and gifts that children come into the world with.
Based on these facts, we have to be careful how we bash these students, and the issue at Linden must be treated with more caution and wisdom by both Mr Cleveland Thomas and the Ministry of Education to find a middle ground, until the Ministry of Education sets up a school for all students such as these. The current Burrowes School of Art is probably one that can be used and vastly expanded for this purpose.
Yours faithfully,
Joycelyn Williams
