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AISK willing to share info, help failing schools
BY LUKE DOUGLAS Observer senior reporter douglasl@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The American International School in Kingston (AISK), a private educational institution which caters mainly to the children of diplomats and Jamaica's wealthy class, is willing to share its ideas on education which have seen 100 per cent of its students moving on to tertiary level institutions, mostly in the United States.
Leaders of the school in St Andrew, which has students from the kindergarten level up to grade 12, said it is interested in being part of the Jamaican community and helping to seek solutions to the problem of the country's underperforming schools.
"AISK wants to be a part of the community here in Kingston, Jamaica. We would love to collaborate and share ideas in a bilateral relationship. We have a lot to learn from Jamaican schools and we feel we have a lot to share with them", said Scott Genzer, middle school and high school principal at AISK disclosed at the weekly Observer Monday Exchange yesterday.
Genzer noted that AISK already enjoys a relationship sharing learning and teaching experiences with Jamaica College from which it leases the property on which it is built.
However, the school's leadership readily admits the problem of so-called failing schools is a very complex one involving issues such as shrinking budgets and students with serious socio-economic problems.
Drawing on experience in the United States public school system, Genzer noted that struggling Jamaican schools have similar issues to those affecting schools in America.
"I come from America and America is dealing with the exact same issues in their public school system", he noted.
Anna Thwaites-Wallace, elementary principal at AISK, suggested that some of the bureaucracy in the public schools could be simplified so that schools could focus more on the business of teaching and learning.
"You need to cut the frills away and get back to the basis of good teaching and learning," she said. "I spoke to a principal of a public school recently who said there were five different government organisations to which he is accountable, apart from the Ministry of Education. There is a lot that's going on that can be simplified."
Thwaites-Wallace made the point that the school is already well involved in Jamaican life and culture, as its students take part in annual JCDC festival competitions, sporting events, reading at other schools, and go on hiking and other field trips throughout the island.
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While admitting that he was not an expert on the Jamaican education system, Genzer said the elements that make up a good school are the same everywhere — excellent teachers who are interested in their students, an environment with access to information and small class sizes.
"The more you can connect with kids the more you can help them learn," he said. "What works in education are great teachers who are valued and in a great environment; learning will happen."
With tuition fees of up to US$14,000 a year, AISK delivers an American-style curricula in an environment which features each student having their own laptop computer and a ratio of 12 to 18 students per class.
School leaders say AISK prepares its students with a 21st century education to compete with students from all over the world.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1mLRJ2rmt
BY LUKE DOUGLAS Observer senior reporter douglasl@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The American International School in Kingston (AISK), a private educational institution which caters mainly to the children of diplomats and Jamaica's wealthy class, is willing to share its ideas on education which have seen 100 per cent of its students moving on to tertiary level institutions, mostly in the United States.
Leaders of the school in St Andrew, which has students from the kindergarten level up to grade 12, said it is interested in being part of the Jamaican community and helping to seek solutions to the problem of the country's underperforming schools.
"AISK wants to be a part of the community here in Kingston, Jamaica. We would love to collaborate and share ideas in a bilateral relationship. We have a lot to learn from Jamaican schools and we feel we have a lot to share with them", said Scott Genzer, middle school and high school principal at AISK disclosed at the weekly Observer Monday Exchange yesterday.
Genzer noted that AISK already enjoys a relationship sharing learning and teaching experiences with Jamaica College from which it leases the property on which it is built.
However, the school's leadership readily admits the problem of so-called failing schools is a very complex one involving issues such as shrinking budgets and students with serious socio-economic problems.
Drawing on experience in the United States public school system, Genzer noted that struggling Jamaican schools have similar issues to those affecting schools in America.
"I come from America and America is dealing with the exact same issues in their public school system", he noted.
Anna Thwaites-Wallace, elementary principal at AISK, suggested that some of the bureaucracy in the public schools could be simplified so that schools could focus more on the business of teaching and learning.
"You need to cut the frills away and get back to the basis of good teaching and learning," she said. "I spoke to a principal of a public school recently who said there were five different government organisations to which he is accountable, apart from the Ministry of Education. There is a lot that's going on that can be simplified."
Thwaites-Wallace made the point that the school is already well involved in Jamaican life and culture, as its students take part in annual JCDC festival competitions, sporting events, reading at other schools, and go on hiking and other field trips throughout the island.
woiie mi belly While admitting that he was not an expert on the Jamaican education system, Genzer said the elements that make up a good school are the same everywhere — excellent teachers who are interested in their students, an environment with access to information and small class sizes.
"The more you can connect with kids the more you can help them learn," he said. "What works in education are great teachers who are valued and in a great environment; learning will happen."
With tuition fees of up to US$14,000 a year, AISK delivers an American-style curricula in an environment which features each student having their own laptop computer and a ratio of 12 to 18 students per class.
School leaders say AISK prepares its students with a 21st century education to compete with students from all over the world.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1mLRJ2rmt
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