The Editor, Sir:

I wish to address an issue in the educational arena, which is cause for grave concern. This is the issue of empanelment, where a team from the Ministry of Education visits our schools, and observes the proceedings. This team stays in the schools for approximately three days.

My school was empanelled in the Christmas term of 2007, and I consider the exercise to be a grand waste of time. Why do I say this? I feel that the team which visited my school was grossly disorganised. I don't know which brilliant person came up with the idea that one teacher should be observed for as many as four times by the same person or persons, while ignoring other teachers. One would think that prudence would dictate that the team sees as many persons as possible, to get a general picture of what happens in the school.

From an exercise such as this, I would have expected that some feedback should be filtered to the school that was inpected. To date, no such feedback is forthcoming. How can the schools benefit if there is no feedback. I am assuming that we will receive our report in 2010, in keeping with the tardiness which is characteristic of MOE officials in addressing pertinent issues. By then, it would be too late for us as a school, to implement remedial measures, where necessary.

Exercise in time wasting

Frankly, I think that the empanelment exercise at my school was an exercise in time wasting. The education officers got a chance to posture themselves with an air of importance and pomposity, trying to engender fear and awe in some members of staff. Their time could have been better spent, demonstrating some teaching strategies to teachers in the schools, since they deem themselves 'gurus' in this regard.

I now call on Education Minister Andrew Holness to give a detailed examination of the empanelment process in the MOE, if he truly expects the Jamaican education system to be 'transformed'.

I am, etc.,

Frustrated Educator

hottilou@yahoo.com