Letter of the Day | Need for consistency in education deliverables in schools

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The recent concerns about Jamaica's low university qualification rates should prompt a serious national discussion about the effectiveness of the schools and the systems that support learning.

While factors such as poverty, family challenges, and limited resources undoubtedly affect educational outcomes, we must also examine what is happening inside our schools. If only a small percentage of students are leaving secondary school with the qualifications required for university, then it is fair to ask whether our current approach to teaching and learning is producing the results our country needs.

One concern frequently raised by parents is the growing dependence on extra lessons, which appear to have become essential.

Recently, a parent shared with me her frustration regarding a child attending a Corporate Area high schools. According to the parent, the child regularly comes home with little or no homework and often has limited academic assignments to complete outside of school. Yet, as examination season approaches, the school and teachers begin organising extra lesson programmes, revision camps, and intensive study sessions.

This raises an important question: If schools have the capacity to mobilise such extensive academic support before examinations, why is the same level of urgency not consistently maintained throughout the school year?

Parents make enormous sacrifices to educate their children. They should not feel that meaningful learning is concentrated only in the weeks leading up to examinations. 

Jamaica has many dedicated educators who work tirelessly despite challenging conditions. School leadership, educational policies, parental involvement, and accountability systems all play important roles. However, we cannot ignore the growing perception that some schools have become overly dependent on extra lessons and exam-preparation camps to compensate for shortcomings during the regular academic year.

Teachers and schools continue to advocate for better salaries, improved resources, and greater support from the government. Many of these requests are justified and deserve consideration. However, public confidence in these demands is strengthened when parents can clearly see that schools are maximising every opportunity to educate students during normal school hours.

The many teachers and schools that are already delivering excellent results should not have their efforts undermined by practices that create the impression that the real work begins only when exam season arrives.

If Jamaica is serious about improving university qualification rates, then we must look beyond examination results and ask deeper questions about how teaching, learning, homework, accountability, and student engagement are being managed throughout the school year.

JERMAINE PIERRE LAING