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We need a revolution in education
Published: Sunday | August 8, 2010
Dennis Morrison,
Dennis Morrison, Contributor
Last Friday, as Jamaicans here at home and an almost equal number living abroad paused to recognise the 48th anniversary of Independence, it may have dawned on them that we are just two years from the landmark 50th anniversary. I am sure there will be no shortage of commentary on our failures and the apportioning of blame as we approach this milestone, and that is to be expected in our rambunctious political culture.
We have so far, however, not had a civil war or a coup, like so many countries that gained Independence around the late 1950s and early 1960s, although many will say that the 1980 elections was a virtual civil war. And others will swear that we came close to a coup towards the end of the 1970s at the height of the ideological confrontation.
Nation building, though, is a journey, and if we are serious about arriving at positive results, economic transformation and social stability, then "we must learn to put up with each other". Although we have averted civil war and coups, we still lack the social capital that is essential if Jamaica is to surmount the obstacles to development. Uppermost in my own thoughts in this season are the seemingly intractable issues in education and national security - two related areas - that are the sources of our most debilitating problems.
Achieved better results
If access to educational institutions were the determining factor in raising literacy and numeracy levels, Jamaica would have achieved better results and a higher standing in international rankings in education. Since the late 1950s, successive political administrations have, even if inconsistently and belatedly, made efforts to expand access to primary, secondary and tertiary institutions of learning. Despite enrolment levels of well over 90 per cent at our primary and secondary-level schools, the results in terms of proficiency and certification are terrible. In short, the quality of education has slipped badly by international standards, compromising our ability to raise productivity levels and to enhance the competitiveness of our industries and the overall economy.
To halt and reverse the slide in quality and at the same time sustain high levels of enrolment, the education sector is going to require broad leadership that can mobilise popular support transcending political, class and other interests. The transformation plan, which is now the guide for education reform, was developed with bipartisan and civil society participation, but this approach has not been followed in the implementation phase. Effective execution of the plan requires that it take on crusade-like form that would capture public interest and move our people to sustained collective action.
To begin, tough choices will have to be made to secure the additional financial resources for the needed overhauling and extension of physical plants, and upgrading of teacher compensation reflected in the parliamentary motion of the mid-2000s agreed by both parties. More challenging, however, is the reform of the system especially affecting curricula, teacher training and promotion, enforcement of standards, performance and discipline. These subjects are always hugely controversial, as we have seen over time in the United Kingdom and various United States states, and as is evident in the resistance to reforms now being pursued by the Obama administration.
Coalition of social forces
Thus, a quantum leap in the quality of educational outcomes is not going to come by accident, but from intelligent effort sustained by the will to produce superior results. This is no easy task and nothing short of a popular movement underpinned by a coalition of social forces, with people that regard advances in education as being in their enlightened self-interest, will sustain it.
Of almost equal impo- rtance to transforming the school is the change that must take place in correcting the deficiencies in parenting and strengthening the support systems provided in the home environment by family. This is true even for middle-class families where parental responsibilities are being neglected.
Social values of individual responsibility, work ethic and discipline are transmitted in large measure through the home and are an indispensable platform for learning and self-actualisation. Jamaica's crime problems can be traced to dysfunctional family structures and the disinterestedness of an increasing number of parents in the process of educating their children. Parents have to be convinced about the absolute necessity for their active and consistent participation in the running of our schools if their children are to get a better education. Motivating them to be engaged in policy formulation and oversight is also critical if we are to begin to change course in education as the 50th anniversary beckons.
Illiteracy, social deprivation and crime are inextricably linked and plague our inner-city communities and increasingly afflict our main towns. With the retreat from the land and stagnation of farming, our deep 'country' districts, that at the time of Independence were peaceful, are also caught up in the vortex of drug and gun-related crime as well. We need a revolution in education to break this vicious circle as much as we need it to survive and prosper in this fiercely competitive global economy.
Dennis Morrison is an economist. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.
Published: Sunday | August 8, 2010
Dennis Morrison,
Dennis Morrison, Contributor
Last Friday, as Jamaicans here at home and an almost equal number living abroad paused to recognise the 48th anniversary of Independence, it may have dawned on them that we are just two years from the landmark 50th anniversary. I am sure there will be no shortage of commentary on our failures and the apportioning of blame as we approach this milestone, and that is to be expected in our rambunctious political culture.
We have so far, however, not had a civil war or a coup, like so many countries that gained Independence around the late 1950s and early 1960s, although many will say that the 1980 elections was a virtual civil war. And others will swear that we came close to a coup towards the end of the 1970s at the height of the ideological confrontation.
Nation building, though, is a journey, and if we are serious about arriving at positive results, economic transformation and social stability, then "we must learn to put up with each other". Although we have averted civil war and coups, we still lack the social capital that is essential if Jamaica is to surmount the obstacles to development. Uppermost in my own thoughts in this season are the seemingly intractable issues in education and national security - two related areas - that are the sources of our most debilitating problems.
Achieved better results
If access to educational institutions were the determining factor in raising literacy and numeracy levels, Jamaica would have achieved better results and a higher standing in international rankings in education. Since the late 1950s, successive political administrations have, even if inconsistently and belatedly, made efforts to expand access to primary, secondary and tertiary institutions of learning. Despite enrolment levels of well over 90 per cent at our primary and secondary-level schools, the results in terms of proficiency and certification are terrible. In short, the quality of education has slipped badly by international standards, compromising our ability to raise productivity levels and to enhance the competitiveness of our industries and the overall economy.
To halt and reverse the slide in quality and at the same time sustain high levels of enrolment, the education sector is going to require broad leadership that can mobilise popular support transcending political, class and other interests. The transformation plan, which is now the guide for education reform, was developed with bipartisan and civil society participation, but this approach has not been followed in the implementation phase. Effective execution of the plan requires that it take on crusade-like form that would capture public interest and move our people to sustained collective action.
To begin, tough choices will have to be made to secure the additional financial resources for the needed overhauling and extension of physical plants, and upgrading of teacher compensation reflected in the parliamentary motion of the mid-2000s agreed by both parties. More challenging, however, is the reform of the system especially affecting curricula, teacher training and promotion, enforcement of standards, performance and discipline. These subjects are always hugely controversial, as we have seen over time in the United Kingdom and various United States states, and as is evident in the resistance to reforms now being pursued by the Obama administration.
Coalition of social forces
Thus, a quantum leap in the quality of educational outcomes is not going to come by accident, but from intelligent effort sustained by the will to produce superior results. This is no easy task and nothing short of a popular movement underpinned by a coalition of social forces, with people that regard advances in education as being in their enlightened self-interest, will sustain it.
Of almost equal impo- rtance to transforming the school is the change that must take place in correcting the deficiencies in parenting and strengthening the support systems provided in the home environment by family. This is true even for middle-class families where parental responsibilities are being neglected.
Social values of individual responsibility, work ethic and discipline are transmitted in large measure through the home and are an indispensable platform for learning and self-actualisation. Jamaica's crime problems can be traced to dysfunctional family structures and the disinterestedness of an increasing number of parents in the process of educating their children. Parents have to be convinced about the absolute necessity for their active and consistent participation in the running of our schools if their children are to get a better education. Motivating them to be engaged in policy formulation and oversight is also critical if we are to begin to change course in education as the 50th anniversary beckons.
Illiteracy, social deprivation and crime are inextricably linked and plague our inner-city communities and increasingly afflict our main towns. With the retreat from the land and stagnation of farming, our deep 'country' districts, that at the time of Independence were peaceful, are also caught up in the vortex of drug and gun-related crime as well. We need a revolution in education to break this vicious circle as much as we need it to survive and prosper in this fiercely competitive global economy.
Dennis Morrison is an economist. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.
