Why are minimum grades still a discussion?

[Sickko]

Players' grade average - Football coaches give rule thumbs-up but ...

Published: Saturday | September 19, 2009


Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Alrick Clarke ... The fact is that the rule has helped a lot of guys (left) and Jackie Walters ... To a large extent, it's a very necessary rule (right). - File
In what is often a battle between a burning desire for sporting achievement and the need for academic success, schoolboy football coaches often find themselves stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
The harsh reality, often portrayed in many movies and novels, is that the players with the most sporting talent are often, for a variety of reasons, simply not the most gifted academically. With the Inter-Secondary Schools Association's (ISSA) stipulating that a player cannot take part in any sport without having achieved a 45 per cent grade in at least four subjects, a talented player may well find himself or herself on the sideline for half, or the entire season.
While many coaches agree the rule is a necessary and beneficial one, there seems to be a general consensus that there is a downside, as at the end of the day, it is the player, unable for whatever reason to make the grade, who suffers.
"It's a rule and you just have to abide by it. Education is important at the end of the day, but the fact is that at the end of the day, not everyone will be able to pass," said Calabar coach Alrick Clarke.
immediate disadvantage
"In some cases, you have schools that get students from GSAT that are just not up to the grade, so they are at an immediate disadvantage.
"It's hard to watch. Not for me as a coach, not in terms of the team, but to see a youngster with such tremendous talent simply unable to benefit from it, knowing that it can take them a far way," Clarke added.
There may well be a great deal to complain about. While the grading system does not allow students academically not up to par to enter some schools, having entered a [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]high [COLOR=orange !important]school[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] that accepts lower grades, they are immediately expected to raise their standard if they are to continue taking part in sport. While some schools have programmes in place to aid students who start at a disadvantage, this is not the case right across the board, and they may simply be left out of the loop.
"It is not a bad idea, but it could do with some modification in terms of helping to bring the students up to a certain standard, not at high school, but even before that," Clarke suggested.
"However, the fact is that the rule has helped a lot of guys. They come in at 29 per cent and by the time they leave, they can leave with five or six subjects," he added.
necessary rule
Another highly successful schoolboy football coach, Jackie Walters of Glenmiur High, agrees that the rule is a useful but could be improved with some support.
"To a large extent, it's a very necessary rule and I have seen youngsters work really hard to make the grade, to be eligible to play, so at the end of the day they leave with a number of subjects," Walters said.
"However, you have to consider a number of socioeconomic factors, which almost ensure that some students start at a disadvantage.
"The fact is, unlike a number of other countries that have development programmes, academies and such that allow sports-oriented individuals to develop outside of school, we have no such things here, so the individual can be totally left in the cold. "However, there are students ... who would otherwise have come to school to waste time that leave with eight or nine subjects. So the rule is effective and with a little more in place, it could go a far way."

[Sickko]

No ease up on - Three principals express full support

Published: Saturday | September 19, 2009


Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

From left, Charlie Smith High's principal, Dennis Kelly, Joseph Williams, principal of St James High and principal of Edith Dalton James, Ray Howell.
The principals of three schools now competing in the daCosta Cup and Manning Cup competitions have expressed full support for the Inter-Secondary Schools Association's (ISSA) mandate that students must have at least a 45 per cent grade average in order to participate in its competitions.
"I am in full support of it because it falls in line with our school policy and here at St James High, none of our students can march in our graduation ceremony, unless that child has an average of over 45 per cent," said principal Joseph Williams.
"We have now put our passing grade at 50 per cent and what ISSA has stipulated is now below our standards," Williams said.
Williams added that the rule must be followed regardless of how good the player is.
"I know that one of our players didn't do well last term in his examinations and he is a good player, but he is not a part of this squad this season," Williams said.
school a place of learning
Ray Howell, principal of Edith Dalton James High, agrees with Williams and said school is not only about playing sports, but also a place of learning.
"Children must understand that sports is only one aspect of life and the only way they are going to move forward in life is through learning and getting an education, which helps them later on in life," said Howell.
"I think that regardless of how good you are in playing a game, it is your performance in external examinations that is going to take you forward after you leave school," he said.
Howell added that his school has adhered to the rule and it has not impacted on his team's chances of moving on in the Manning Cup competition.
"I am sure that our team is not impacted in a negative way by this rule. This is the standard and people must adhere to standards," said Howell.
"Every child who comes into our school, comes in with an average of 40 per cent from GSAT, and therefore if that child does not meet this criteria, then it means that their average would have dropped considerably and this is not acceptable at our school," Howell noted.
the rule is a good one
Dennis Kelly, principal of Charlie Smith, said the rule has affected his team's chances of moving forward in the Manning Cup on a number of occasions but admitted that the rule is a good one.
"One or two times we have had some good players that have missed out because of this rule," Kelly said.
"We have accepted that the rule is a good one and we have tried to stick by it because many times some of our students want to play and we tell them that they can't because they are unable to meet this criteria."
Kelly added that it is also very embarrassing when students are in school for five years and when they leave they can't give a good interview or take up scholarships.
He said they were taking the rule very seriously and all their student/athletes must attend classes or they will be sent home. "Students are told to find another school to attend because we let them know that school is not just about football alone and they must attend their classes," Kelly said.

[Sickko]

Forbes: ISSA thinks academic rule is fair

Published: Saturday | September 19, 2009


Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Forbes
Competitions officer of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), George Forbes, says the current academic rule governing player participation in the ongoing Manning and daCosta Cup competitions is a fair one and one for which his organisation is proud.
The rule, which states that a student must attain a minimum of four grades of 45 per cent or above in the term preceding the start of ISSA-run competitions, has from time to time come up for discussion.
importance of education
However, some principals, physical department heads, teachers, parents and coaches have from time to time questioned the requirements for one reason or another saying that it is either too low or too high.
But according to Forbes, having taken into consideration all the concerns, ISSA thinks the rule is equitable and works well.
"It's a situation where some people are saying we should not do anything, and allow students to compete regardless of their academic capabilities, while others are saying that it is a bit too low and should be increased to at least 50 per cent so as to drive home the importance of education," said Forbes.
"But we are saying that there should be standards, and the current rule is a fair academic standard, not too high, not too low, for any reasonable child to attain," he added.
He continued: "We don't want anyone to come to school just to play sports as it is equally important that they leave school with minimum academic requirements.
Meanwhile, asked about the general compliance rate to the rules, Forbes said it was very high although from time to time a few schools run afoul of requirements.
random checks
"We have had to go around and do random checks from time to time to check for authenticity and on occasions have found some schools wanting," he explained.
"As such we have had to disqualify schools, and others have been brought in to disciplinary hearings. But all in all it has been good and we are happy that the compliance rate is high. "We have to always try and do what is in the best academic interest of the student," he added.

[Karl]

So those who improve to the 5 through 9 subjects had the talent to do the work.

...and those who do not make?
Could it be the teaching to bring them up to standard is not there? ...was not provided?

Yuh dun kno...

I believe all have the talent to do the academc work! My belief is, the way the material is presented is the problem.

You just cannot expect kids who turn up at schools without the proper background...the necessary basics...to be presented the material as it is presented to those with solid foundation.

[Sickko]

Rubbish, you are making excuses, these football players and athletes get more chances and oppurtunities than the average non-sports playing students.

A lot of these schools have feeding programmes for those who play sports or people linked to the school who can provide lunch money, expensive sneakers and more.

I used to go to school with very little breakfast or at times hot sugar and water and a few crackers and not getting good grades was not acceptable and I know I was not the only poor student in the school either.

[Karl]

Rubbish, you are making excuses, these football players and athletes get more chances and oppurtunities than the average non-sports playing students.

A lot of these schools have feeding programmes for those who play sports or people linked to the school who can provide lunch money, expensive sneakers and more.

I used to go to school with very little breakfast or at times hot sugar and water and a few crackers and not getting good grades was not acceptable and I know I was not the only poor student in the school either.

A bet yuh iffin a han-sah yuh yuh wudda bex?

Seriously - example - most of us would not hate, say mathematics, if it was presented in a well taught manner.

If you for one moment think the academically poor athletes are slow learners or do not have the innate talent to perform well academically you are barking up the wrong tree.

It is more about the athlete who is performing poorly in school has not had "a proper foundation" and the school either has not put in place the system/curriculum to provide that foundation and bring them up to speed or has not put in place sytems to motivate the poor athlete to put in the effort to 'catch up'!

Talent abounds! It is systems to nuture and develop the talent that is lacking.

[Sickko]

Karl stop, maybe you are reacting like a caring father, uncle or grandfather but if you see how some of these players react to simple instructions from coaches ypou will understand how dese they are...

I used to have to dodge gun shot etc to get to school from where I lived and at times after school we had to wait till tribal war ended or cooled off to rush home and lock down

I am sure yopu heard of bevil Debruin who was a wizard at Maths, ask any CC boy about him, he came to CC in the late 1950s as a political refugee form Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and died here in 2003 and is an icon to many genberations of boys..if he could not treach me maths, no one can.

I went to school when tecahers were teachers and loved what they did and we never heard anything about strike for pay and all that, in my time at CC teachers volunteered to stay after school and teach slow learners, some times in vain

[Me]

If half of the schools promote a culture where dem will "work out a ting" for the ballers, that footballer really never has the incentive to focus on his school work, especially if his peers have very low standards.

4 subjects at 45% is pathetic and I think in most other countries people would laugh at us.

[Mosiah]

and when you realize that even 45% is too high for the general student body, maybe we should lower it for the footballers!

[Karl]

Karl stop, maybe you are reacting like a caring father, uncle or grandfather but if you see how some of these players react to simple instructions from coaches ypou will understand how dese they are...

I used to have to dodge gun shot etc to get to school from where I lived and at times after school we had to wait till tribal war ended or cooled off to rush home and lock down

I am sure yopu heard of bevil Debruin who was a wizard at Maths, ask any CC boy about him, he came to CC in the late 1950s as a political refugee form Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and died here in 2003 and is an icon to many genberations of boys..if he could not treach me maths, no one can.

I went to school when tecahers were teachers and loved what they did and we never heard anything about strike for pay and all that, in my time at CC teachers volunteered to stay after school and teach slow learners, some times in vain

I hear you!
...but some teachers we called great catered to the students who understood their single method of getting a fact or concept across...and yes, I know in our Jamaica situation of large classes and classes with children with widely varied foundation it is extremely difficult to say *create a program for 1 child only...but trust me we all can learn the most complex of things if explained in a manner that holds our interest and fires us with great enthusiasm.

*Just imagine a class of 20 with 6 or 8 groups with different level foundation...needing to be fair to each group that 6 or 8 different approaches to the teaching of a concept or a subject to enable the coverage of the curriculum as demanded?

Most teachers cannot 'deal' with the workload that managing of 6 or 8 programs demand. The reality? Some smart kids are turned off, become fustrated, stop giving the effort needed, tune out the teacher and the subject and become labeled 'dunce'! ...cyaan larn mathematcis iffen yuh lick mhit innah im ead...or just has no affinity to Spanish. Nutten nuh wrang wid dem...they just needed a program that addressed 'their needs'!

Why is it so many of the dunces find themselves later in life - professor dis or professor dat...doctor dis or doctor dat? Dem suddenly get brite?

What happens to the many who do not get the opportunities of those who, for example, migrate and get that second shot at learning the subject? ...like a footballer who dunce an cyaan larn Spanish who goes to play in Spain for 5 years and now speaks great Spanish? Wait a nuh 5 years im wudda duh di subject innah high school? suh wah im suddenly get brite pan Spanish?

How many from say - back innah country bush primary school which has only 2 trained teachers for 200 kids...where only those kids who can follow the 2 teachers 'single method' of 'teaching'...are left out and declared 'dunce'? ...and how many who held on by the 'skin of their teeth' find themselves in high schools and are ignored by the 'great teachers' (who do not have the time to devise programs suited for them)...there find themselves left behind and then have the label 'dunce' foisted on them?

...and there are a host of other reasons why some, like you could not learn the mathematics from the great teacher!

Aaaaaaah Sicko man, talent abounds...but...but...but ~ sign ~ the nuturing of the kids?????????

[Karl]

and when you realize that even 45% is too high for the general student body, maybe we should lower it for the footballers!

Suh yuh finally realise the nature of the beast?
Mis-education of our youth! Talent abounds!

Wah yuh seh, Lazie?
Minister Holness should be working at solving how to get our kids a 'good start'...and how to 'keep it going' through prep, secondary and tertiary education? nuh tru?

Where our education is concerned 'it takes cash to care'! Schools, the support staff and equipment needed....etc., etc. ...

...bout im ongle ave time if cuss di teacha dem? damn ass!

[Mosiah]

not going dere wid yuh!

[Sickko]

I have been ignorning him and his inane rantings on this subject...look like him cant make it to Walgrens to replenish his pills.

Karl is looking at one aspect of the person and he seems to be ignoring the fact that sport careers are very short and the person with little or no education will struggle and we see so many examples of broke former millionaire athletes and still wont heed.