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EDITORIAL - Playing along with education
published: Saturday | July 5, 2008
It is instructive that all of three stories in yesterday's publication made the connection between school and play, at three levels of the education system.
At the basic level, literally and figuratively, under the headline 'Basic schools get hurricane relief', it was reported that Dr Rebecca Tortello, adviser/consultant to the minister of education, said, "I know very well that play nourishes every aspect of children's development; it forms the foundation for intellectual, social, physical and emotional skills necessary for success in school and life."
A bit further up the education ladder, it was reported in the story headlined, 'Preparatory school graduates urged to guard their minds' that Dr Orville Taylor, university lecturer and columnist with this newspaper, reminded graduates of Lannaman's Preparatory of the importance of keeping physically active. He also advised them to limit their junk food intake.
And at the high school level there was a report on another kind of play, as the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education-funded music lab at Irwin High School in St James was officially opened on Thursday, mention being made of the four-year-old high school's track record in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's festival competitions.
It is significant that these reports come before the first full week of the summer holidays, as by Monday many a child will have been shipped off to summer school. These 'schools' are mostly a combination of play and learning, with various physical activities designed to strengthen the body and the mind and provide some measure of relief from the near relentless grind of academic pursuits which often marks the education system.
Options by parents
There will be those parents and guardians, though, who will put their charges through either remedial classes for the academic year just past, or the preparation for the one which lies in wait at the end of a long, hot summer. They would be well advised to peruse the stories mentioned in full, as well as to read up more about the connection between play and intellectual development. For while we do understand that in a society fraught with not only economic challenges, but also stark class demarcations which parents often expect their offspring to either leap over or depend on, not to fall under, play of the sporting or musical kind may seem a frivolous pursuit. And we are aware that in some quarters, historically athletes and musicians have not been readily associated with high intelligence, to put it mildly.
But times are changing (it is instructive that yesterday's Gleaner also carried a report about the plan to expand the University of Technology's outstanding sports programme) and we hope that the emergence of a number of entertainers such as Tanya Stephens and athletes, including Usain Bolt who express themselves comfortably, will go a far way in eroding any remnants of this misconception.
And we hope that when the summer is over, there will not be an abrupt switch from the fun and games to a strict academic regimen, where there is no play to stimulate body and mind. After all, one holiday's play, no matter how long it is, cannot be enough to balance a near unrelenting dosage of bookwork in a world where students are expected to know more and more about the global village they live in, but do not have a chance to run through.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.
published: Saturday | July 5, 2008
It is instructive that all of three stories in yesterday's publication made the connection between school and play, at three levels of the education system.
At the basic level, literally and figuratively, under the headline 'Basic schools get hurricane relief', it was reported that Dr Rebecca Tortello, adviser/consultant to the minister of education, said, "I know very well that play nourishes every aspect of children's development; it forms the foundation for intellectual, social, physical and emotional skills necessary for success in school and life."
A bit further up the education ladder, it was reported in the story headlined, 'Preparatory school graduates urged to guard their minds' that Dr Orville Taylor, university lecturer and columnist with this newspaper, reminded graduates of Lannaman's Preparatory of the importance of keeping physically active. He also advised them to limit their junk food intake.
And at the high school level there was a report on another kind of play, as the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education-funded music lab at Irwin High School in St James was officially opened on Thursday, mention being made of the four-year-old high school's track record in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's festival competitions.
It is significant that these reports come before the first full week of the summer holidays, as by Monday many a child will have been shipped off to summer school. These 'schools' are mostly a combination of play and learning, with various physical activities designed to strengthen the body and the mind and provide some measure of relief from the near relentless grind of academic pursuits which often marks the education system.
Options by parents
There will be those parents and guardians, though, who will put their charges through either remedial classes for the academic year just past, or the preparation for the one which lies in wait at the end of a long, hot summer. They would be well advised to peruse the stories mentioned in full, as well as to read up more about the connection between play and intellectual development. For while we do understand that in a society fraught with not only economic challenges, but also stark class demarcations which parents often expect their offspring to either leap over or depend on, not to fall under, play of the sporting or musical kind may seem a frivolous pursuit. And we are aware that in some quarters, historically athletes and musicians have not been readily associated with high intelligence, to put it mildly.
But times are changing (it is instructive that yesterday's Gleaner also carried a report about the plan to expand the University of Technology's outstanding sports programme) and we hope that the emergence of a number of entertainers such as Tanya Stephens and athletes, including Usain Bolt who express themselves comfortably, will go a far way in eroding any remnants of this misconception.
And we hope that when the summer is over, there will not be an abrupt switch from the fun and games to a strict academic regimen, where there is no play to stimulate body and mind. After all, one holiday's play, no matter how long it is, cannot be enough to balance a near unrelenting dosage of bookwork in a world where students are expected to know more and more about the global village they live in, but do not have a chance to run through.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.
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