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High school standard-bearers of excellence?
BY DR LASCELVE GRAHAM
Saturday, May 11, 2013
RECENTLY, one of our daily newspapers printed a ranking of high schools based on English and Math CSEC results (30/4/13). These are the two most basic subjects in high school, and while there are other schools that are not performing up to the standard we would expect, what immediately startled me was the very low ranking of two of our most prestigious traditional high schools — Calabar and Jamaica College.
Coincidentally, these schools placed first and second at our recently concluded extravaganza of high school track and field — Champs. If my memory serves me correctly, these schools have produced more prime ministers than any others in Jamaica. They boast some of the highest-status, most powerful and successful alumni of any high school in Jamaica. They potentially have the wherewithal to do what any school in Jamaica can do, and more than many can even dream of doing.
Why then should Calabar be ranked 36th in Mathematics and 38th in English, and Jamaica College ranked 29th in Mathematics and 32nd in English among 64 secondary high schools? The other groups were upgraded high schools and technical high schools.
These schools, it appears, pull out all the stops to do well at sports. Both schools are allegedly strong supporters of giving great weight, where they can, in the admissions process, to a youngster’s sports prowess. A number of stories have been making the rounds in this regard.
There is no gainsaying that they have been consistently very successful at sports. However, what about what many, the world over, regard as the core function of high schools — the academic/technical aspects? Is it that these schools are out of kilter with respect to the balance between sports and education? Is it a matter of emphasis?
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...ence-_14239025
BY DR LASCELVE GRAHAM
Saturday, May 11, 2013
RECENTLY, one of our daily newspapers printed a ranking of high schools based on English and Math CSEC results (30/4/13). These are the two most basic subjects in high school, and while there are other schools that are not performing up to the standard we would expect, what immediately startled me was the very low ranking of two of our most prestigious traditional high schools — Calabar and Jamaica College.
Coincidentally, these schools placed first and second at our recently concluded extravaganza of high school track and field — Champs. If my memory serves me correctly, these schools have produced more prime ministers than any others in Jamaica. They boast some of the highest-status, most powerful and successful alumni of any high school in Jamaica. They potentially have the wherewithal to do what any school in Jamaica can do, and more than many can even dream of doing.
Why then should Calabar be ranked 36th in Mathematics and 38th in English, and Jamaica College ranked 29th in Mathematics and 32nd in English among 64 secondary high schools? The other groups were upgraded high schools and technical high schools.
These schools, it appears, pull out all the stops to do well at sports. Both schools are allegedly strong supporters of giving great weight, where they can, in the admissions process, to a youngster’s sports prowess. A number of stories have been making the rounds in this regard.
There is no gainsaying that they have been consistently very successful at sports. However, what about what many, the world over, regard as the core function of high schools — the academic/technical aspects? Is it that these schools are out of kilter with respect to the balance between sports and education? Is it a matter of emphasis?
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...ence-_14239025
I would wager a bet that Dr. Graham wishes us to believe that C'bar and JC have short-changed their students where academic education is concerned. I wonder where I get the thought that he would wish us to unthinkingly condemn C'bar and JC without his offer of any data to support his slant?
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