I am 70 years old and had been a teacher for 52 years, 38 years with the Ministry of Education and 14 years in after-retirement service.
Many have passed through my hands, some to great heights like Mr. Mohandatt Goolsarran of NCERD and his wife Beena who is now a retired teacher. Some have also fallen low in their academics and there are those in between.
I was a tutor for Pupil Teachers studying for their Pupil Teachers Third and Fourth Year Exams. One such person is my wife Nashmoon Bacchus who retired as a Grade A head teacher, another is Savitree Gocool who is now a senior teacher at Cumberland Primary.
I tutored teachers in Mathematics for CXC as they needed a pass of at least Grade Three to enter the Teachers Training College. Several have been successful and are today Trained Teachers.
When I was a Grade Four pupil at Fyrish Congrega-tional school, now Fyrish Primary, I did not pass to go into Grade Five and had to repeat one year in Grade Four. I was laughed at by friends and family but it paid off well because I came first in the July Annual Exams after repeating.
There was no stopping me after that. I was successful in the Preliminary Certificate Exam, the School Gardening Exam, moved on to the Pupil Teachers Exam, then the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year Exams and on to Training College.
Editor, all this would not have happened in my life had it not been for my teacher who made me repeat class 2. There is much more wisdom in repeating a class than to have an automatic promotion. A child should not have to leave school because he cannot pass exams, school is much more than passing exams. We educate the child so that he or she becomes fit to live and fit to live with.
I write this letter in support of the view of Mr. Cleveland Thomas but Mr Thomas must know that the Ministry of Education is the authority to decide policy.
Yours faithfully,
Ameer Bacchus
Sheet Anchor
Berbice
