One goal, different approaches - Principal and teacher of the year push for change in education in their own way
Published:Thursday | November 14, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Jermaine Francis, Staff Reporter
THE 2013/2014 LASCO/Ministry of Education principal and teacher of the year, both believe the education system should be transformed; however, they both have different views on how it can be changed.
Principal of the Year Norman Malcolm believes the education system can only be changed through creative means, while Teacher of the Year Janet Walters thinks discipline must be at the forefront of any transformation.
However, speaking after they collected their prizes at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Tuesday, the educators both agreed that there are some aspects of the system that need changing.
Malcolm, principal of the Windward Road Primary and Junior High School, said for the education system to change, educators must begin to appreciate that they have limited resources at their disposal and seek new means of funding their institutions.
"We need to understand the kind of resources we have at our disposal and the kinds of possibilities to generate income to use in transforming our classrooms," he said.
He said schools must begin to help generate income that can facilitate the further development of each institution.
"Schools must become more creative in terms of getting financing to run their organisations," Malcolm added.
The principal said, at his institution, he operates the tuck shop as a well-managed business that the school community, including parents, understand that the funds are being used to develop the institution.
DISCIPLINE IS VITAL
Meanwhile, Walters, a teacher at the John Rollins Success Primary in St James, is of the view that discipline will go a far way in helping students achieve real results.
"We have to instil discipline in our students, and if our students are disciplined, then they will learn," she said.
Walters, a former accountant who made the switch to the classroom eight years ago, said this is the approach she brings to the classroom and would encourage others to do the same.
Both educators each received $200,000 and a trip to the ASCD Professional Development Conference in California, United States of America.
Malcolm said, during this year, he will be seeking to raise funds to equip all classrooms at his school with laptop computers.
And Walters said she will be pursuing a project to change the way mathematics is being taught at her school.