We need a working national consensus on what purposes education must serve

Dear Editor,

The Minister of Education, Ms Priya Manickchand has said that “the single, most important issue in the country (is) the education of the nation’s children.” I fully agree, but I do have some difficulty with the Minister’s sincerity. Her policies stand in such stark contrast her statement.

In legal practice it is accepted that justice must not only be done, but also must be seen to be done.  There should be no difference in the practice of education.  If the education of the nation’s children is the single, most important issue in the country, then that must be seen to be the case. I am extremely apprehensive about the manner in which education is practised. It would appear that our policy-makers are yet to understand the relationship between education and nation building.

Education has tremendous significance for Guyana, and it should be the subject of serious study, new thinking, intellectualization, and the essential contextualization. If such a process were initiated, then as sure as the night follows the day, it will become obvious that our education sector, from the ministry down, needs to be restructured and reorganized if education is to meet Guyana’s present and foreseeable needs. It can no longer be ‘business as usual,’ or ‘hit or miss.’ It must be used with precision.We misuse it at our own peril!

There is overwhelming evidence that our educational outcomes over the past several years have not served Guyana well. Two of the several factors that have contributed to this state of affairs need to be addressed immediately. First, we need to enlarge our vision for education beyond matriculation (5 CSEC passes, albeit English and Maths included).    Second, is the need to arrive at a working national consensus about what purposes education must serve at this stage of our country’s development.

In our emerging democracy the ordinary citizen must be seen as the most important person in our state.  It would be in our state’s interest to have intelligent and literate citizens who can cope with change and obsolescence. Our vision for education should envisage every Guyanese child not only getting 5 CSECs or the equivalent, but also being empowered to grow intellectually throughout life. Their early educational experiences (early childhood through secondary), should therefore place due emphasis on adequate preparation for 1) life-long learning and taking advantage of all opportunities for personal development; 2) discharging the duties and responsibilitiesof good citizenship particularly in their communities; and 3) active participation in healthy lifestyles.    Schooling in Guyana should never be reduced to the passing of examinations ‒ hence the contemplation of streaming in schools. The tail should never be allowed to wag the dog.

It had been recommended elsewhere that the Caribbean Examinations Council needs to “grow” into the Caribbean Education Development Council. While not wishing to detract from the brilliant all-round performance of the student who secured 20 CSEC passes, judging from the list of subjects offered, and allowing for the inherent relationships within certain areas of study, it would appear that there was significant content overlap in the sciences: Biology, Human and Social Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Electricity/ Integrated Science, Agricultural Science, Food and Nutrition, Physical Education, Home Economics Management.  Are students being coached on how to exploit the system in quest of the record number of passes? Is this a desirable trend, especially when teenage students have reported staying up into the wee hours of the morning?

Further, to use another analogy, you do not put millions of dollars in a safe, then use a cheap padlock to secure it in an attempt to make it burglar-proof. We invest billions of dollars in the education sector each year, not to mention the priceless young minds that adorn our classrooms, and the Minister boasts about 70% trained teachers. But, who are these trained teachers? Have they been recruited from the top, or lower half of the class?   How many possess a content level higher than CSEC?  How many have CAPE, or university level qualifications in the subject areas they will be required to teach?

Years ago when the student body tended to be more homogeneous, and the home and society were generally more supportive of schools, teachers generally had a sound education and were dedicated. In an era of mass education, most observers would readily agree that for several reasons teaching in today’s classrooms has become increasingly challenging and far more complex than it ever was. It would, therefore, be expected that today’s teachers would be both well educated and trained – not just trained!

From all appearances it evident that the Ministry of Education is incapable of dealing adequately with the various problems that plague the system. Given that the Minister recognizes that the education of the nation’s children is the single most important issue in the country, then urgent steps must be taken to enhance organizational capacity at all levels in the ministry and throughout the system. There are several ways in which this can be accomplished, but editorial constraints do not permit a fuller discussion. However, in the short term and for immediate effect, appointments to positions of responsibilty should be based primarily on professional merit, while incumbents should be afforded opportunities for continuous professional growth and development.

Yours faithfully,
Clarence O Perry