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Increasing commercialisation in education
Wesley Barrett
Monday, July 14, 2008
There has always been concern about increasing partisan politicisation of education. Now we have added to that a serious concern about the escalation of commercialisation in the education system.
Like Christmas, business enterprises and individuals are not failing to target, entice and cajole many people of barely modest means to spend on some unnecessary products and services. In the process, those yielding to the temptation lose a sense of the things that are of more lasting value such as thrift and modesty. On the other hand, those who benefit significantly from any transaction profess that it is good business sense to "market your product and service", even if in doing so the real needs of people are not met. I want to relate this scenario to the education system.
Graduation exercises are increasingly becoming big business. Many parents and children who pay little regard to regular attendance at school and to high academic and social achievement often fall prey to enticements of being "graduated", irrespective of whether they have achieved the stage or age for graduation ceremonies. Children barely six years old, some of whom are yet to master the readiness skills for primary education, are given the most expensive hairdo, adult styles and costly clothes to attend their "graduation ceremony". The sponsors also dress lavishly for the occasion to oblige. The outlay runs into thousands of dollars!
Often some of the innocent "graduates" can hardly keep their head up as they are overcome and overwhelmed by the weight, even vanity of the occasion, as they nervously walk in procession to their designated seats. By the end of secondary education some might have had their third or fourth graduation exercise. The sad fact is that many "graduate" for the third time while hardly improving on their previous achievement. Relatively few may finally graduate from a tertiary institution or university. Is all the expenditure on "graduation" worth it? Who benefits? Should schools encourage these grand shows?
At least two prominent media commentators, Barbara Gloudon and Ronnie Thwaites, have consistently urged parents and teachers to consider the merit of these expensive exercises and consider more modest and meaningful ceremonies such as a school-leaving service where the students literally leave school in their school uniforms. All of us who wish to see more substance than form should continue to urge a reduction or elimination of these expensive graduation exercises. The saved funds could be put into a savings account for a more meaningful educational expenditure that leads to higher levels of achievement. Those who actively encourage the graduation expenditure often for personal gain should seriously think if their actions are noble and helpful to the vulnerable.
More recently, the egos of parents and children have been exploited with intense enticement to have congratulatory messages advertised regarding success in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). Were we not bombarded with advertisements urging the placement of congratulatory messages and mounted photographs of students who were "successful" in the GSAT examinations? The fact or irony is that all students sitting the examinations succeeded in obtaining a place in a Grade 7 class whether in a junior high or all-age school, newer-established or longer-established high school. Should the approximately 50,000 students who sat the examinations and were all placed advertise their success in placement? We can celebrate success in other ways.
Bear in mind that parents have some say in where their children attend secondary school, in the sense that they are given a choice of five schools when an application is made to sit the examinations. Well over 70 per cent obtain a place in one of their chosen schools. In such a case, is a paid congratulatory message or an advertised photograph very meaningful excepting to boost ego? Of course, some who did not advertise might have done better in the examinations than many of those who did. Furthermore, scores obtained by some students who got their second choice but did not advertise might have been higher than those of others who received their first choice and advertised. Such are the realities and complexities of an imperfect system. The pertinent issue here, however, is the seemingly unnecessary expenditure and show by some people. Of course, those who push the advertisements undoubtedly gain a great deal.
When we now add the growing business of personal advertisement of examination or placement success at the pre-tertiary level to (1) increasing merchandising of book trolleys to convey books bought from "additional" booklists that are either marginally used or not used at all, (2) solicited even forced "extra classes", (3) vending in classrooms, (4) peddling of illegal substances at school gates as reported, among other things, we see growing commercial activity in the education system. The issue now is whether the authorities and responsible leaders will remain spectators of all of this and simply move on. Will there be a response with policy initiatives to halt and reverse these trends which could severely undermine the education system?
As schools now go on the long summer break, it is a good time to think about these issues and to plan to do something about them. Quite likely some people will contend that there are larger issues facing the country than these being raised here. The problem is that the seemingly minor issues grow rapidly into major ones before we realise it! Accordingly, I am urging a sober reflection and discussion at the school level and at the national level on some of the unsavoury commercial activities developing and escalating in the education system with a view to correcting them. School rules and regulations need to be reviewed and adjusted quickly. Let's remember that the "big" problems have their solution in the timely solution of the constituent minor problems as they emerge!
I wish all teachers and students a productive summer vacation characterised by further - even leisurely - study and reflection.
wesebar@yahoo.com
Wesley Barrett
Monday, July 14, 2008
There has always been concern about increasing partisan politicisation of education. Now we have added to that a serious concern about the escalation of commercialisation in the education system.
Like Christmas, business enterprises and individuals are not failing to target, entice and cajole many people of barely modest means to spend on some unnecessary products and services. In the process, those yielding to the temptation lose a sense of the things that are of more lasting value such as thrift and modesty. On the other hand, those who benefit significantly from any transaction profess that it is good business sense to "market your product and service", even if in doing so the real needs of people are not met. I want to relate this scenario to the education system.
Graduation exercises are increasingly becoming big business. Many parents and children who pay little regard to regular attendance at school and to high academic and social achievement often fall prey to enticements of being "graduated", irrespective of whether they have achieved the stage or age for graduation ceremonies. Children barely six years old, some of whom are yet to master the readiness skills for primary education, are given the most expensive hairdo, adult styles and costly clothes to attend their "graduation ceremony". The sponsors also dress lavishly for the occasion to oblige. The outlay runs into thousands of dollars!
Often some of the innocent "graduates" can hardly keep their head up as they are overcome and overwhelmed by the weight, even vanity of the occasion, as they nervously walk in procession to their designated seats. By the end of secondary education some might have had their third or fourth graduation exercise. The sad fact is that many "graduate" for the third time while hardly improving on their previous achievement. Relatively few may finally graduate from a tertiary institution or university. Is all the expenditure on "graduation" worth it? Who benefits? Should schools encourage these grand shows?
At least two prominent media commentators, Barbara Gloudon and Ronnie Thwaites, have consistently urged parents and teachers to consider the merit of these expensive exercises and consider more modest and meaningful ceremonies such as a school-leaving service where the students literally leave school in their school uniforms. All of us who wish to see more substance than form should continue to urge a reduction or elimination of these expensive graduation exercises. The saved funds could be put into a savings account for a more meaningful educational expenditure that leads to higher levels of achievement. Those who actively encourage the graduation expenditure often for personal gain should seriously think if their actions are noble and helpful to the vulnerable.
More recently, the egos of parents and children have been exploited with intense enticement to have congratulatory messages advertised regarding success in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). Were we not bombarded with advertisements urging the placement of congratulatory messages and mounted photographs of students who were "successful" in the GSAT examinations? The fact or irony is that all students sitting the examinations succeeded in obtaining a place in a Grade 7 class whether in a junior high or all-age school, newer-established or longer-established high school. Should the approximately 50,000 students who sat the examinations and were all placed advertise their success in placement? We can celebrate success in other ways.
Bear in mind that parents have some say in where their children attend secondary school, in the sense that they are given a choice of five schools when an application is made to sit the examinations. Well over 70 per cent obtain a place in one of their chosen schools. In such a case, is a paid congratulatory message or an advertised photograph very meaningful excepting to boost ego? Of course, some who did not advertise might have done better in the examinations than many of those who did. Furthermore, scores obtained by some students who got their second choice but did not advertise might have been higher than those of others who received their first choice and advertised. Such are the realities and complexities of an imperfect system. The pertinent issue here, however, is the seemingly unnecessary expenditure and show by some people. Of course, those who push the advertisements undoubtedly gain a great deal.
When we now add the growing business of personal advertisement of examination or placement success at the pre-tertiary level to (1) increasing merchandising of book trolleys to convey books bought from "additional" booklists that are either marginally used or not used at all, (2) solicited even forced "extra classes", (3) vending in classrooms, (4) peddling of illegal substances at school gates as reported, among other things, we see growing commercial activity in the education system. The issue now is whether the authorities and responsible leaders will remain spectators of all of this and simply move on. Will there be a response with policy initiatives to halt and reverse these trends which could severely undermine the education system?
As schools now go on the long summer break, it is a good time to think about these issues and to plan to do something about them. Quite likely some people will contend that there are larger issues facing the country than these being raised here. The problem is that the seemingly minor issues grow rapidly into major ones before we realise it! Accordingly, I am urging a sober reflection and discussion at the school level and at the national level on some of the unsavoury commercial activities developing and escalating in the education system with a view to correcting them. School rules and regulations need to be reviewed and adjusted quickly. Let's remember that the "big" problems have their solution in the timely solution of the constituent minor problems as they emerge!
I wish all teachers and students a productive summer vacation characterised by further - even leisurely - study and reflection.
wesebar@yahoo.com
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