Benbow back at St George's

[USAF]

Was trying to sponsor this young man to attend college here (he had 6 subjects). When my wife went down to get him ready for SAT, she discovered that he didn't take math, although we told him that math & English were the 2 most important. He informed us that he didn't like math & it was no longer mandatory to take it.

He wants to be an engineer, & he can't do math.....CRAZY!!!

[USAF]

Like Michael Seaton. He was taken out of the high school system because he was seen as a special talent by DC United, & because they realized that if he remained there it could stunt his development.

[Mosiah]

Math is mandatory at every Jamaican school I know. Unless of course you play Manning Cup for some schools!

[USAF]

Reminds me of some of MADNESS that went on in college & high school sports......Poster Child: Dexter Manley.

[USAF]

I know it was when I was there.
Going by what he told us (he played HS football), so we have arranged for him to get math tutoring.

[Gamma]

the thing is that though they may not be ready for professional football, they may be good enough to play NCAA football but guess what? they need the grades and SAT scores .... can you say conindrum?

so they play npl and hope to get a break that way ...

[Mosiah]

You should send the Jamaican high school the bill!

[USAF]

LOL. Never thought of that.

[USAF]

D@mn shame!!! They are at the mercy of these self serving clowns.

[Mosiah]

Karl dem would say Dexter made millions nonetheless, so what's the problem?!

[Karl]

Yuh can write till kingdom come! At the end of the day what mostly happens art these schools is wicked exploitation. That is the reality in general!

Why do you not write about the kids who move because of perceived advantage on the academic front?

Do they not displace other kids?
Relegating them to lower positions in class and sometimes gobbling up academic scholarships that the 'foundation members' likely would have won?

A buy dis?

I can just hear you - Pure widkidness and tek-in ave had-vantage of di poor 'foundation' pickney dem? ...boy wudda di lef a im lessa school an nuh get fi wi hiyah level coaching innah academics an move innah fi wi more competitive education environment...but jus cum innah fi wi space a rob wi!!!!

...to stave off crying...I smile!!! Jeeeeeezaaaaaas

[Karl]

well that is the thing, a player with that potential ought to be in a football dedicated learning environment. that is what karl is missing .... he should have been there since age 12-14 if not before.

so what he has is a tweener ... he is at "school" for the football but what he needs to develope as a professional is not and cannot be catered to in that environment.

You are suggesting the player could not perform better at academics. You look at the result of his academic performance and assume that he has been in an environment that allowed (him) optimum age-appropriate academic development.

I am saying that cannot be correct. It is the education environment that has stunted his development.

...running parallel with that I am saying the education environment as far as his development at football is also lousy.

What then should occur?
Improve both areas! - End of story!

NB: One other mistake some on-lookers make is, assuming that seeing a few students achieve much in the same environment the poor student achiever shared then the fault lies with the poor achiever. That is most often not so. ...as each child is unique and each responses in differing ways when in same environment.

It is the teaching/learning environment that must be changed to best serve the child.

We have no academic dunces...just poor education systems and poor teaching methods.

[Mosiah]

Do we need visas for your Utopia?

[T.K.]

Do we need visas for your Utopia?

Hehe.....

[Gamma]

holders of jamaican passports FOR SURE! we need visas to go any and everywhere!!!