Education for economic independence

Maurice D. Smith, Contributor

There continues to be much debate about Jamaica's economy and whether or not successive governments have advanced a macroeconomic framework designed to facilitate growth and development.

The thrust towards economic development is a platform on which policies aimed at improving the quality of life of their citizens via increased commercial opportunities, through private-sector investment, are articulated. The term encapsulates critical issues such as economic growth, fiscal policy, infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and education, with the latter being, at least to me, the most important.

Undoubtedly, educational quality certainly impacts what economic outcomes are realised, in that education equips individuals with the necessary skills that enable independent functioning in society.

Such a process begins with access to formal education. It is a well-known fact that developing countries such as ours are challenged in this regard. In recent years, on average, approximately 50,000 students each year are placed by way of the GSAT; however, only 35,000 complete five years of high school.

This partially explains the droves of unattached youth who swarm our communities throughout the country. Having said that, I commend the former administration for its initiatives that have resulted in a 10 per cent increase in access at the secondary level. Not only must that continue, but the current administration should now focus on achieving the quality imperative.

A World Bank (2006) report indicated that since the 1990s, though Third World nations have been increasing enrolment in primary schools, there was little emphasis on whether or not children were learning.

International achievement test data showed that in South Korea, Finland and Japan, less than five per cent of students tested were deemed not to be literate, whereas South Africa, Brazil and Peru had a mean of 71 per cent. Scholars document that in many developing countries, less than 10 per cent of students attain minimal levels of certification upon completing their tenure in secondary school.

During a recent trip to Brazil, I happened to have engaged myself in a spirited discussion on education in Jamaica and countries of similar ilk versus the developed countries from which my colleague conference attendees had come. I refuted the notion then, as I do now, that the panacea for the achievement gap is simply one of funding.

Research done in Latin America and Africa provides significant conclusions that building new schools, reducing class sizes and increasing teacher salaries across the board have just a minuscule effect and are unlikely to yield sustainable substantial improvements in student performance. It is not to suggest that spending more on education would not effect any positive changes, but there are some things money, though a means to an end, just cannot buy. A synthesis of my own experiences and findings from a literature review form the basis of my recommendations.

McKinsey and others demonstrate that teacher quality is the most essential factor in increasing student achievement. Their work underscores that effective schools have teachers who are desirous of obtaining ongoing post-initial professional qualification and remain committed to displaying particular traits and dispositions.

It is obviously difficult to design policy that promotes the acquisition of 'soft skills', but a task of this nature could be an area of research undertaken by local teacher-education entities whose research machinery is almost flaccid. Increased student attainment will also be accomplished if we make structural changes to the education sector.

Structural Changes

We must first get parents to agitate for higher standards in schools and raise their expectations of their children and the teachers and administrators who serve them. The divide among secondary schools must disappear by virtue of the nature of support given by the state. A new funding formula that will allow schools to get additional resources for students who are challenged needs to be devised, as generic funding formulae are injudicious in that they presume that all students possess the same need.

Across the literature, students performed better in schools that had autonomy in personnel and day-to-day decisions. My aunt (who is a teacher in a charter school in Florida) and I were talking the other day, and she related to me a situation that had transpired at a school in which some teachers had their employment terminated. Though she spent a few minutes being empathetic, her emphasis was on the children who now stood the chance of being taught by persons who actually cared.

Most teachers with whom I have worked with in schools back home really did care, but my mind is also replete with examples of many who did not. This, though highly controversial, is a fact. We cannot support obsolete legislation that provides protection en bloc to those who shirk their responsibility. I suggest that we entrust autonomy for personnel and financial management to school boards and principals. (I also suggest that we discontinue having members of parliament recommending board chairmen for appointment, but that is for another article.)

Also, many systems have been adopting measures to increase accountability of schools. Interestingly, I discovered that providing incentives to teachers based on how their students progressed is what improves student achievement. The sector can be incentivised so that those who do well are appropriately rewarded. These three policy positions - having increased parental involvement; giving schools autonomy; and ensuring accountability - will lead to a more effective education system.

But how does all this promote economic independence? The quality of the education system in any country impacts skill development and distribution, and, ultimately, one's capacity to generate income. The cyclical relationship between both education and economic independence and development is critical, as the more prosperous a nation becomes, the more advanced its system of education is.

We must produce business moguls, entrepreneurial giants, industry leaders, pioneers in science and technology, and accomplished sportsmen all with the acumen to create wealth. As we celebrate our 50th year of Independence and our possible birth as an island republic, let us embrace those policies that will craft a brighter future for us and all Jamaicans to come.

Maurice D. Smith is a doctoral student at Howard University. Feedback to this article can be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com and maurice.d.smith@bison.howard.edu.