Comments on: Ridding Our Schools of Errant Teachers

By: Ivor St Hill

Ivor St Hill — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 12:02:59 +0000

Continuous assesment is not new to T&T. The fears expressed by many parents are genuine ones; mainly that it will be subjective.
I attended Fatima & CIC. In both of those institutions continuous assesment took the form of homework set in all subject areas during each week. Weekly marks were assigned mainly on the basis of the quality of the homework produced and any other tests done during the week.
The weekly marks for each student were recorded and an aggregate mark was given. Term marks (and position in class) were published for all students. This was in addition to the term-end tests. (Do they still have term-end tests in Trinidad shcools?) This form of continuous assesment left very little to the discretion of the teachers, and by the way, provided parents with an ongoing report of the child’s progress. My father never ever visited my school to have a report of my progress; he simply perused my “Judgement Book” as we called the book in which our marks were recorded.

Where did we find the time for all this? Well we did not have “half-term” breaks.

By: TMan

TMan — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 03:53:35 +0000

The response to the Minister of Education regarding his plan to move towards continuous assessment in primary schools has been mixed but mostly disappointing. Once again the response has been politically motivated and it is ironic that those who stand to gain the most from these proposals are the ones who are opposing the changes. The Ministry seems to be moving towards the elimination of the “do or die” SEA as the singular criterion for admission to secondary schools. Continuous assessment would include the achievement of students over the years spent in Primary schools. The first phase seems to be the inclusion of additional examinable subjects other than the restricted basic skills. These subjects apparently include Art, Music and Physical Education. It seems that the Ministry is presently involved in teacher training to facilitate these changes. Professional development of teachers, provision of adequate resources and facilities are all critical at this stage to avert problems which may arise later during implementation. A more comprehensive assessment method is definitely needed to replace the SEA. Students whose strengths are non-academic would be provided with opportunities in secondary and post secondary institutions. Also, students with Math or Language disabilities and strengths in the Performance areas might have a chance at secondary success, especially if they are provided with adaptations to compensate for their disabilities. The end result could be highly improved graduation rates from secondary schools and fewer illiterate young people left to survive on a life of crime.

By: Linda Edwards, class of '67

Linda Edwards, class of '67 — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:21:13 +0000

It is a fact of colonial, subservient mentalities, to think that good things come from abroad, in nicely packaged European or North American form, with matching accents.
We in TnT were once very well educated people, and ran our schools well, even if some of us were barbaric in terms of punishment. We abandonned models of good education, good policing and other good things and strove to become America’s fifty-fourth state, after Puerto Rico, Bahamas and Jamaica. Now, when I am home, I cannot tell where our thinking departs from fake north American models. We begin our days with the nonsense news from abroad, the messy lives of the hollywood set, sales at Macy’s and crime news from Miami, and we wonder why our children are lost. Meanwhile, I swelter behind electronic gates, the modern luxury home, a prison.
We import top cop crime fighters from the cold north, only to see the crime rate escalate, mercifully, they have stopped hogging the press.
We no longer teach land conservation, nor protection of the wildlife. Each ethnic group now treats the nation as a separate colony of exploitation, and the children of the “others” especially the poor are not taught much if anything at all.

But here is a story of hope.

My stepmother’s maid is from one of the other islands, and I discovered last year that she cannot read. Her son will graduate from UWI -Sta, just as her daughter gets ready to enter university.
That’s still possible in TnT. Had her island been as wealthy, she would have gone to school. She is making sure her children go, and get educated.There is hope. We have to band together to realize that this is OUR LAND, and no foreigner can have as much interest in pushing us forward, as we should have.
Our teachers have to work hand in hand with the parents, to do the best for our children. My mother, and my teachers, were on friendly terms. It mattered.

By: Neal

Neal — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:54:53 +0000

I hear you Madame L , and would always defer to your vast knowledge on matters historical, and on education, but again a sense of reality needs to be put in place when grappling with troubling socio – political issues ,that affect’s folks at the lower echelons , especially in our neck of the woods.
You cannot use a first world understanding of good governance, and expect to force it down into another , where non progressive, tribalist /supremist, self centeredness, is the norm – as played out under present day, neo triumphalist ,cultural bandits .
There is therefore work to be done, and you and I might have to create the change we desire via Civil Society.
Trust me on this ,the politicians,and gluttonous business entities, that dominate T&T , will follow.