Education is the key

THE RIOTS that have taken place in England have caused a flurry of comments from all sides of the political spectrum. One common factor on which most agree is that the education system and the social structures it supports, and which support it, seem to have failed an entire generation of British youth. There is a pointlessness to some of the violence that suggests a deep-rooted ennui in the urban working class. Despite what some sociologists say, it is difficult to see the actions of these youth as a rebellion. It is an outburst against the pointlessness of their existence. There is no longer anything for them to be faithful to, to be loyal to, to believe in.

It had been festering for some time. One saw it in the growth of the huge community gangs that had emerged and attached themselves to football clubs. The clubs gave focus to their desire to create mayhem, and identified temporary 'enemies', but the purposelessness of it all was clear.

It was reminiscent of, but more troubling than, the French riots of 2005. It was easier, then, to blame the disturbances on the fact that it began in areas of France where youth was discriminated against because of ethnicity and religion, discrimination that led to poverty and hopelessness. But a troubling number of the French rioters were not what you would describe as poverty-stricken. Some of the behaviour was similar to that of the British rioters of today.

Abject failure of education system

Now, in the United States, there is a political force called the 'Tea Party'. This group of right-wing conservatives is marked by an ability to accept as fact things that do not stand up to intellectual scrutiny. Polls also show that a significant number of Americans agree with them. Link this to the underlying racism in America, which is based solidly on an ignorance that defies intelligent reasoning, and one can make a connection to what is happening in Europe. In both these places, the events reveal an abject failure of the education system.

A society in which a large portion of its populace is irrational, unfocused adults, is one whose education system has failed. The existence of a group of teenagers in the United States of America who, in 2011, would go out to 'mess with a nigger', and of apologists who would explain away this reprehensible action, is an indication of this failure. The existence of the Tea Party Movement is an indication of this failure. In Britain it is worse: the existence of thousands of youth with no faith, no self-belief, no loyalty, no real patriotism, is an indication of the failure of the education system. It is through education that these qualities are passed on.

And to think that it is this system that has been cloned and then tweaked and given to us in the Caribbean! That it is the US and Britain that we still look to for ideas and assistance! It is a tribute to our people that we have resisted those aspects of our education that would produce the types of hopelessness and ignorance we see in the metropole.

Our natural intelligence

This resistance is perfectly described in Olive Senior's poem, Colonial Girls' School, when she describes how our colonial education tried to rob us of our sense of self and wonders "who let Anansi from his bag"? suggesting that it is our innate sense of self, our natural intelligence. The Mighty Sparrow puts it in a different way. While in school, he says, "if mi head was bright, a wudda be a damn fool".

There is a rugged, stubborn common sense in Caribbean people. That is why so many metropole-based parents send their children home to be educated.

This is why, although our political leaders have continually led us up the wrong paths, we stubbornly hold on to common sense. And although generations of planners have devised education programmes which mirror those of the developed world, our teachers baulk. An innate common sense tells them that it is more important to produce persons who value themselves, maintain a sense of humour and who think they are cared for, than to produce persons who are 'ready for the job market' - important though that may be.

Keith Noel is an educator. Send comments to columns@gleanerjm.com.