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Deconstructing Education Chronicles CCCX111 
So D1 has noticed many ites yappin in a vacuum about education. The fact of interest in the subject is great
Unfortunately much of the yappin is uninformed and superficial....and lacking a factual or data-driven framework
There is a lot of chatter about flawed "ranking of schools" when indeed the education system itself is a rank failure. Consequently the conclusions drawn from the flawed and inadequate information which informs the yappin ...are misdirected or downright FALSE.
Fortunately D1 is here to provide an appropriate framework for more intelligent discussion on this, my #1 concern...education
Let's begin in the middle... the secondary school system and the critical transition from the primary level
The following data are from the latest MOE report (2013) on GSAT outcomes
For those most interested go to Page 145
GSAT EXAM PROFILE - OVERALL MEDIOCRITY BUT AN ABSOLUTE CRISIS WITH BOYS
A. ~43K students sat GSAT IN 2013
~ 20 K Boys and ~23 K Girls ...
So ~15% MORE Girls than Boys even sat GSAT!
B. Girls OUTSCORE boys in ALL subjects (except some fluff subject called Communication Arts where they're equal):
...The differences range from ~7% in Science to a whopping 20+% in Language Arts!
C. The overall scoring scoring for Girls is MEDIOCRE and POOR for boys
D. Stats indicate the GSAT cohort with very good to acceptable results..which show good prep for HS work:
~20 of the Girls (~4500) and ~16% of the Boys (~3200)...
If this is correct... Almost 50% MORE Girls are properly prepared for HS work than Boys!
E. Boys' schools have a MUCH SMALLER pool of quality 1st formers to attract as opposed to Girls' and Co-Ed schools. This issue is particularly acute for large boys' schools with ~2K students...
The 1st form intake of large boys' schools is 250+ ... or 8% - 10% of the ENTIRE cohort of academically acceptable boys!
E. Clearly unless the basic & primary systems are fixed... Most High Schools will continue to be remediation centers managing social problems moreso than preparing kids for a modern economy. This is particularly true for BOYS!
FLIGHT TO QUALITY ISSUES
It's a well known fact that the biggest influence on HS academic performance is the quality of intake. There is a fierce battle among schools for the best quality GSAT performers since this is such a big factor in success. So called traditional schools manage the "intake academic quality" issue in various ways....a few:
A. Establish a fee-paying Prep School as a feeder to increase chances of a quality intake.
B. Admit girls who are generally higher performers than boys
C. Boarding on campus for large fees...
D. Spend substantially on the best teachers, enrichment programs and best infrastructure available to them to create an appealing environment for parents and kids
E. Remain small or moderately sized
The schools most successful at this "quality intake game" practice most if not all of these above... then compete for a colonial era "good school" title as if they exist in the 1960s.
Most of the nation's schools do not have the resources to compete at this elitist game and are permanently excluded from the "good school club".
The above is why it is RIDICULOUS for the unthinking to state that poor performing schools should just buckle down and "be like" the higher performing traditional schools This is a structural IMPOSSIBILITY!
Considering all the yappin about this education subject, virtually none of the yappers know the real issues nor realize this education model is broken and CANNOT MOVE JAMAICA FORWARD
Time unnu get real wid THE REAL ISSUES and support an agenda of comprehensive REFORM
So D1 has noticed many ites yappin in a vacuum about education. The fact of interest in the subject is great
Unfortunately much of the yappin is uninformed and superficial....and lacking a factual or data-driven framework
There is a lot of chatter about flawed "ranking of schools" when indeed the education system itself is a rank failure. Consequently the conclusions drawn from the flawed and inadequate information which informs the yappin ...are misdirected or downright FALSE.
Fortunately D1 is here to provide an appropriate framework for more intelligent discussion on this, my #1 concern...education
Let's begin in the middle... the secondary school system and the critical transition from the primary level
The following data are from the latest MOE report (2013) on GSAT outcomes
For those most interested go to Page 145
GSAT EXAM PROFILE - OVERALL MEDIOCRITY BUT AN ABSOLUTE CRISIS WITH BOYS
A. ~43K students sat GSAT IN 2013
~ 20 K Boys and ~23 K Girls ...
So ~15% MORE Girls than Boys even sat GSAT!
B. Girls OUTSCORE boys in ALL subjects (except some fluff subject called Communication Arts where they're equal):
...The differences range from ~7% in Science to a whopping 20+% in Language Arts!
C. The overall scoring scoring for Girls is MEDIOCRE and POOR for boys
D. Stats indicate the GSAT cohort with very good to acceptable results..which show good prep for HS work:
~20 of the Girls (~4500) and ~16% of the Boys (~3200)...
If this is correct... Almost 50% MORE Girls are properly prepared for HS work than Boys!
E. Boys' schools have a MUCH SMALLER pool of quality 1st formers to attract as opposed to Girls' and Co-Ed schools. This issue is particularly acute for large boys' schools with ~2K students...
The 1st form intake of large boys' schools is 250+ ... or 8% - 10% of the ENTIRE cohort of academically acceptable boys!
E. Clearly unless the basic & primary systems are fixed... Most High Schools will continue to be remediation centers managing social problems moreso than preparing kids for a modern economy. This is particularly true for BOYS!
FLIGHT TO QUALITY ISSUES
It's a well known fact that the biggest influence on HS academic performance is the quality of intake. There is a fierce battle among schools for the best quality GSAT performers since this is such a big factor in success. So called traditional schools manage the "intake academic quality" issue in various ways....a few:
A. Establish a fee-paying Prep School as a feeder to increase chances of a quality intake.
B. Admit girls who are generally higher performers than boys
C. Boarding on campus for large fees...
D. Spend substantially on the best teachers, enrichment programs and best infrastructure available to them to create an appealing environment for parents and kids
E. Remain small or moderately sized
The schools most successful at this "quality intake game" practice most if not all of these above... then compete for a colonial era "good school" title as if they exist in the 1960s.
Most of the nation's schools do not have the resources to compete at this elitist game and are permanently excluded from the "good school club".
The above is why it is RIDICULOUS for the unthinking to state that poor performing schools should just buckle down and "be like" the higher performing traditional schools This is a structural IMPOSSIBILITY!
Considering all the yappin about this education subject, virtually none of the yappers know the real issues nor realize this education model is broken and CANNOT MOVE JAMAICA FORWARD
Time unnu get real wid THE REAL ISSUES and support an agenda of comprehensive REFORM
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