Tertiary Level Educational Problems

The problem of the Jamaican Education System 

By Skillachi 

In my last post I wrote about the problems of our current education system, well as I got to the end of the post I realized there were a lot of rants I wanted to make regarding education in Jamaica, specifically pricing. Now ignoring the fact that not even high school education is free, lets look at tertiary level education. Since taking power the government has slowly but surely taken steps to remove the subsidy that the previous government has placed on tertiary education. So much so that anybody attending any tertiary institution will have realized the stark rise in tuition that has taken place over the years, a rise which is expected to continue since we have received the loan from the International Monetary Fund, a loan which has stipulated that they will have to cut the subsidy. Further hurting Jamaica's chances of ever reaching anywhere.

Why? Just how many people do you think can afford a full tertiary education? The full economic cost per year of many degrees ranges around the US$10,000 mark... Per year. Multiply that by the current exchange rate and that means that the average Jamaican will have to find around J$900,000 every year for 3 or so years just to attain an education. Adding to that the fact that the degrees that may help us to attain better cheaper health-care cost exponentially more than that US$10,000 figure I initially stated only helps to make the situation worse. Especially since the people who leave these institutions do not have any jobs to go into.

The education minister then stated that maybe our education system is innefficient and inneffective. He makes an argument which I will admit was made on reasonable grounds but with what I consider to be very bad reasoning. He states:

"... each year Government was spending $14 billion for 60,000 students at the tertiary level -- all institutions combined -- while $2 billion was spent on early childhood, about $7 billion on primary education, and $12 billion on secondary schools.

But if we continue to spend on education in this way, effectively what we are doing, is providing for 60,000 and literally denying the other 250,000 (early childhood, primary and secondary)," he said, adding that based on the current results at the secondary level, only 11,000 of about 250,000 students could move directly on to tertiary education

And then finished off by saying that “only the elite was provided for in the current structure.” As I said he makes some reasonable arguments. First being that maybe we do need to start spending more on childhood education, for the simple reason that if you make a good base then you can make an excellent building (or... something like that). However I reiterate that I cannot see how spending less on tertiary education will change anything.

There's the fact that there will be less top level educated people in Jamaica, less educated people mean that we lose an important resource which is simply people with the knowledge and no-how to make better decisions and help to run the country more efficiently and intelligently than we do currently. It also means more entrepreneurs which then means more businesses which mean more money etcetera. Oh and these educated people can also turn around and better educate at the early childhood and high school levels which improves the education system which continues this cycle of brilliant Jamaicans adding to the world and making the world a better place.

See what I'm getting at? See that fun cycle of epic I just made? We need to keep the educated people in Jamaica and stop importing foreigners and pushing the locals away. Its the only way to improve Jamaica in the long term (short term planning isn't gonna get us anywhere).

Teachers are an important resource, keep them. Tertiary education is important to the nation, fund it! ... So ends my rant.

Link to original post HERE

Secondary Level Educational Problems

Another report on the failing schools syndrome

By Wayne Campbell

The script has become quite familiar and rather expected. It would be an understatement to say all is not well with Jamaica's education system. This notion was recently reinforced by the analysis and findings of the 2013 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results.

According to Educate Jamaica — a leading think thank — 75 per cent of all the secondary schools in Jamaica are underperforming. Correspondingly, only 25 per cent of all post-primary schools in Jamaica are producing graduates capable of passing five or more subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level inclusive of English Language and mathematics. A minimum of five CSEC subjects are required by Jamaican students in order to matriculate into tertiary level studies and/or enter the world of work. Disturbingly, three-quarters of our secondary schools are not able to meet this minimum target.

This is nothing new and has been the case for quite a while as our policymakers scurry to find solutions to tackle and address this crisis of national importance.

Among the top-performing schools we clearly see a trend. All top ten performing schools can be classified as church-schools, and as such it is apparent that there is great involvement of the particular denomination and the operation of their respective school.

Interestingly, seven of the top ten schools are single sex girls' schools with three of the top ten offering boarding facilities. In all probability, the time has come for us to revisit the option of boarding schools. This undoubtedly would provide much-needed structure and discipline to many of our students who are currently not benefiting from such an environment in many of our schools.

Additionally, our boys are more at risk as is evident from the 2013 CSEC results in which no all-boys school was listed among the top-ten performing. As a result, the discourse continues and will intensify regarding the underachievement of our males in the education system.

The Jamaica society is one in which there is an unquenchable fixation with our problems. We do this at our peril. We need to foster and develop a culture of problem-solving instead of merely identifying our solutions. We spend too much time dissecting our problems and too little time trying to find solutions to our problems.

One thing is blindingly clear as we scrutinise the issue of Jamaica's education system: Management is at the root of both failing and top-performing schools.

In order to fix the problem of failing secondary schools we need to take some radical decisions. One of which must be to strengthen the mechanism of accountability within the education system. Of course, there can be no accountability without transparency. The Ministry of Education must strengthen the mechanism in place to monitor all schools, especially those who are deemed as failing.

Let us look for a minute at Robert Lightbourne High School, which has a capacity of 900 students. The principal reports a current population of just under 300 students. Yet, with such a low student population, the school was placed at the bottom of the underperforming schools in the 2013 CSEC examinations. Clearly, such an institution needs the scaffolding of not only the Ministry of Education but all the stakeholders involved in the business of education.

Immaculate Conception High was placed at the top of the best-performing schools; having had all their fifth form cohort passing five or more subjects including mathematics and English language. They are to be commended. However, let us be fair, had the results for Immaculate been otherwise something would have been terribly wrong. Since they receive the best-performing students from the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), some scoring 95 per cent and above in all subjects, they should turn out capable students.

We must find some work together to provide solutions to address this national education crisis. Failure to address this now will see us back here in 10 years' time revisiting this same issue.

Frankly, it may be necessary to revamp the management team of some of those failing schools in order to turn them around. Principals should be on contracts. The buck stops with them as chief operating officer. We must take the necessary steps to rescue our failing schools or else there is no future for Jamaica.

In many failing schools there is an abundance of unease and discord brewing below the surface. In too many instances principals do not have the confidence of their general staff due mainly to their divisive management styles. Undoubtedly, this will and does affect the performance of our schools.

Additionally, we need to take a serious approach to how we constitute our school boards. We must appoint people of impeccable character and requisite educational background. The time to take politics out of the education system is now. Failure to do so will only worsen the failing school syndrome which is spreading like a cancer.

We need Jamaica's private sector to become more involved in the business of education. Our private sector needs to invest more in education. Maybe it would be useful for the private sector to adopt a struggling school. The Government alone cannot turn around or correct the varied problems in the education system.

The community must become more proactive and protect the interest of the schools in their area. The alumni associations must take a serious interest in the operation of their school.

Finally, our parents and guardians must become more involved in their children's education. Parents must monitor homework and make regular checks with the school. Our parents must attend parent-teachers' meeting. Parents must show interest in their children's welfare and development. Poverty is no excuse for not being integrally involved.

It is going to require a collaborative effort from all the stakeholders to fix the education system. Both short and long-term plans will be required to address the ills of our education system. There can be no sustainable development for a country with an education system that is underperforming.

The primary responsibility of the present generation is to fully equip the next generation with the necessary skills set and knowledge to develop citizens to eventually take over the reins of governance in the society.        

Link to original post HERE

Primary Level Educational Problems

Student-Teacher Ratio Needs Fixing

By Joan Lewis

There is much concern coming from the education minister, educators and the public in general about failing schools and poor performance of students.

While there are various steps being taken to remedy the situation, I strongly believe the policymakers have missed a very important area which is essential to effecting the change everyone is hoping for in education.

The pupil-teacher ratio as published on the Ministry of Education website is 30:1 for infant schools; 35:1 for primary, all-age, primary and junior high schools; 30:1; 25:1 for secondary high schools with grades seven to 11; and 20:1 for secondary high schools with grades 12 and 13.

incorrect ratio balance

As it is, the pupil-teacher ratio is higher for pupils who need more individual attention than for those who are able to work independently. It is impossible for pupils at infant and primary stage to get optimum benefits in a class of 30:1 and 35:1 pupil-teacher ratio. Equally, the teacher is not able to deliver the curriculum to its maximum requirements.

The pupil-teacher ratio should be rearranged so that the infant school has a ratio of 20:1; primary schools 25:1; and secondary high schools 35:1. Since teachers are paid by their qualification and schools are staffed based on this ratio, a shift in the pupil-teacher ratio among the schools should not require an increase in the education ministry's budget. In attempting to improve students' performance, the policymakers must think in the Jamaican context and make optimum use of the limited monetary resources.

Along with teachers', parents' and students' accountability, fixing the pupil-teacher ratio will result in improved students' performance and there would be less need for costly large-scale intervention programmes. With manageable class size, such programmes could be implemented by class teachers and able teacher assistants at reduced cost to the taxpayers.

Link to original post HERE 

Solutions To The Problems Presented

In my first blog post, titled “Tertiary Educational Problems” the article, The problem of the Jamaican Education System highlights the point that tertiary level education is too costly for the average Jamaican citizen to afford. This inevitably means that less Jamaican citizens will attend university, which results in fewer skilled individuals entering the working force of the island. I believe this problem can only be solved through proper planning and allocation of funds by the Jamaican government. The Jamaican government should cut back its spending on less important matters and instead give a greater portion of funding to tertiary institutions, which would lessen the burden on students. For example, this year the Jamaican government spent 57 million dollars on its “Grand Gala” festival, which only lasted for one day; I’m positive that, that 57 million would have greatly benefited its tertiary educational institutions.

      The article in my second post, Another Report on the Failing Schools Syndrome, is mainly concerned with the failing results of students of secondary level institutions. The article presents the point that “75 percent of all the secondary schools in Jamaica are underperforming”. It is extremely difficult to fathom that three-quarters of a countries’ high schools are doing poorly. However, I believe this problem can be solved or at least mitigated if the principals of all Jamaican high schools are put on a 3-year contract program, in which they are monitored and held accountable for the performance of the students. If the students do not meet the required criteria or attain adequate marks, the principals will be replaced.

      Lastly the article in my third post, Student-Teacher Ratio Needs Fixing, presents the issue of the teacher-pupil ratio in the primary level educational institutions. The article highlights the point that “The pupil-teacher ratio as published on the Ministry of Education website is 30:1 for infant schools and 35:1 for primary”. I strongly believe that fewer amount of students in a class, will greatly increase the chances that they will learn the task at hand. A lower student-pupil ratio will not only provide greater chances for individual attention but, will also make the class easier to control by the teacher. Below is a chart that I created showing, a steady decrease in student pupil ratios over the years 1971-2010, however I believe principals should continue working on this issue until the ratio is 15:1