By Livingston Allen, Gleaner WriterGINGER RIDGE, St. Catherine:
"NOTHING THAT we do will change the perception that education is the lynchpin that drives growth in the economy," said Maxine Henry-Wilson, Minister of Education, Youth and Culture.
She was addressing board chairmen and principals of Region Six at the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sports last Friday.
She told them that children going to school from grade one and leaving without being able to read was deplorable. "There is no plausible explanation for illiteracy," she noted. The Minister mentioned several instruments put in place for educators to use to analyse the problems that contribute to illiteracy and employ the relevant intervention to correct the shortcomings. She mentioned the grade one inventory test, the grade three diagnostic test and the grade four literacy test.
A 'SOCIAL ILL'
She urged both chairmen and principals to work together to tackle the problem of illiteracy. She observed that from the instruments, there seemed to be no tracking of students and their particular problems. Against that background, she said that education was now being seen as the panacea of all social ills.
"Until we can reduce or eliminate illiteracy, the public will not be sympathetic to an increase in the education budget," she told the chairmen and principals. The Minister noted that there were no more margins in terms of education. She remarked that people were saying that the country won't improve unless teachers develop students who can perform. She also pointed out that workers were being imported from abroad to fill jobs at JAMALCO and for the construction of the new highway as many Jamaicans who applied were not qualified. However, she commended some schools for turning out good graduates.
LOW STANDARDS
Several principals called on the Minister to ensure that an equitable distribution of GSAT passes entered the new high schools. According to several of the principals from the new upgraded high schools, they received mostly the students with poor performances.
Principal of the Bog Walk High School, Fedrick Lewis, noted that he received the list of intake for 2004-2005 and of the 380 students allotted, 280 were of a level F standaard and the other 100 just marginally better. He implored the Minister to give them a level playing field and that they would perform just as well or better than the traditional high schools.
Permanent Secretary Marguerite Bowie noted that the Ministry will look into the problem. She also said that the mean score in mathematics and Language arts for the GSAT 2004 was less than 50 per cent.
