Jamaica can learn much from Cuba

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Dear Editor,

I read with interest the February 14 Observer article "AISK willing to share info, help failing schools". While this is applaudable, we can't forget that these schools have the advantage of having abundant resources, with students paying upward of US$14,000 pa in tuition fees. Add to that their independence which allows them to better achieve their own objectives without much bureacracy... The nature of their existence alone will ensure smaller class sizes which is vital for effective teaching and learning. And while their success of having 100 per cent of AISK graduates moving on to tertiary institutions is great, the same standard can't be applied to public schools which has different objectives with students coming from different socio-economic backgrounds and students having different needs.

Not everyone will want to move on to tertiary education, for instance, and they don't have to either, in order to be successful. What schools need to teach students is valuable life skills so they can make wise calculated choices and choose the best options and direction in line with career interests and skills. We also must recognise that many graduates of public schools in Jamaica, despite any limitations, still go on to tertiary level institutions. Many go overseas also and do just as well (and even better) than their counterparts schooled privately - and they didn't have to pay US $14,000 pa either for local education! So clearly some things are working in public schools. There are still many hindrances and challenges which I'm sure the Ministry of Education is aware of. The lack of stable family structure in many households, the influences outside the classroom, socio-economic factors will always add to the challenges for effective learning, hence their emphasis, the curriculum, everything has to be geared differently.

So while we cannot directly draw parallels with public and independent schools like AISK, I'm sure there are areas where programmes or ideas can be shared for mutual benefit. Jamaican schools have suffered badly over the years from lack of adequate resources for maintenance, upgrade, expansion to meet changing needs and growth of population. I agree with the idea of focusing on less testing, and greater emphasis on enriching the entire learning experience. But learning is not academic alone either, we must encourage learning through other programmes, technical and vocational, as well as giving a boost to extra-curricular activities where students can learn and achieve more, just by being involved.

I think most public schools are simply strangled by bureaucracy and lack of adequate resources. They rely heavily on private fund-raising, and efforts by PTA and alumni. I've always maintained that Jamaica could also learn lots from the Cuban system. They have one of the best education systems in the world, and the Cuban Government spend a sizeable chunk of its budget on education alone. That should be Jamaica's objective - to invest more in education, expand facilities, reduce class size, set higher standards in qualification of teachers and reduce government bureaucracy. Government should ensure at all costs that public schools continue to be tuition-free, which is not really "free" if its paid for by taxes.

The government also need to reassess the merits and values of the GSAT process of streaming students on to the secondary level. It is just too extreme for students at that early age and the vast sums spent annually administering these exams and the intense curriculum, could well be pumped right back into the school system to enhance the complete learning experience. I'm sure if you looked at the AISK model which has students as early as kindergarten right up to grade 12, you won't find any system as intense as GSAT processing students in order to advance to higher grades at the secondary level.

And while space will always be a challenge in public schools, the ideal should be to broaden the base of opportunities for children at the age of entering secondary school, they should never have to fight for it. There also need to be greater accountability as to how the education tax introduced years ago, which we later learned wasn't going to education but combined in some consolidated fund) is actually being used. I doubt any well-thinking Jamaican worker would oppose this specific tax, if it's used specifically for the purpose it was intended - invested to improve efficiency in education.

P Chin

Chin_p@yahoo.com

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Jamaica can learn much from Cuba