It has become a recurring theme in these columns for the poor conditions of schools throughout the country to be highlighted in the expectation that urgent action would be taken.
This week there were three cases which sparked outrage among parents. The schools in question were the Philadelphia Primary, the Sisters Village nursery and the Wisburg Secondary. Chances are that unless these cases are extensively highlighted in the press the schools would continue to be victims of the malaise, disinterest and incompetence that have overwhelmed the regional education departments and their interface with the education ministry.
What is going on? Just weeks after the start of the new term why should these schools be encountering such difficulties? The common refrain from all three was that these problems have been highlighted umpteen times but there has been no response from the authorities. One would have thought that over the Christmas holidays the schools inspectorate division and the regional authorities would have been inspecting all the schools and doing routine maintenance in buildings which by their very nature are high traffic buildings with constant need for upkeep.
Instead, as told by stakeholders at the Sisters Village nursery, a leaking roof has beset the schools for three years and grew progressively worse until the entire thing became a strainer last week during recent heavy rains. Pupils had to be sent home. The problems at Philadelphia have been known for some time and their protracted nature shout that those in the region and at the Ministry of Education have not been paying heed to what is happening.
That two schools in Region Three are presently experiencing problems points to the laxity and inattentiveness of the education department in the region. The regional education officer and the regional chairman should both answer to their communities for these failures. There is a fundamental disconnect between the regions and the ministry as the local government system continues to atrophy. The regions are not properly equipped or resourced and do not take their functions as seriously as they should. Communities on the other hand have grown cynical and resigned to the prospect of not being taken seriously by the regions no matter how many complaints are made.
And what of the Ministry of Education? One would hope that the Minister of Education, his permanent secretary and the newly appointed chief education officer would take an abiding interest in the plight of these schools. The children in these schools should not be made to attend in the present insalubrious conditions. Moreover there cannot be a reasonable expectation that the children who inhabit these schools will be able to learn in the way they are expected to. Therefore, all the rhetoric that emanates from the minister and his ministry about the supposed positive changes and improvements in results don’t amount to much. So much money has been lent to this government and the preceding one by the IDB under the Primary Education Improvement Project and the Secondary Schools Reform Programme and other schemes that it is unbelievable that a government in place for 18 years has not been able to find its stride as yet and prevent the serial disgrace of problems after problems at schools. One of the lasting defects of this government is that it likes to aim high to impress with things like the one netbook for family programme and high-tech distance education yet the most basic of tasks defy solution or challenges it so fiercely that one wonders at the quality of the human resources addressing these problems.
Take care of the roofs, the fences, the water supply, the toilets, the security and other essential services at schools and then perhaps the country might begin to believe that the other challenges such as poorly paid and under-appreciated teachers can see a better future. Perhaps then, the country might begin to believe that the better conditions in all of these schools will allow students to secure better results in the core subjects of Mathematics and English. Perhaps then the country might begin believing that their children can drink deeper of the sciences that might help transform the country’s lame trek towards economic diversification and broader food exports. Perhaps then the country might begin believing that politicians really mean what they say and at least have the intention to execute their plans. As of now that’s a very tall order.
