Dear Editor,
I have had serious concern for some time now as it relates to the expectations of schools and their obligations to students. I sometimes get the feeling that our principals and school administration are given a leaking bucket in which to carry water. I felt obligated to write in light of the report that was presented in Parliament on Tuesday, January 21, 2014, by Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites.
We hear reports ever so often of what the schools need to do to improve education and stop violence in schools. The Gvernment spends millions of taxpayers' dollars trying to fix the problem but, as Andrew Holness said in Parliament in response to the minister's statement, "this is just a band-aid for a wound that needs much more attention".
The focal point really needs to be in the homes; this is the first institution of development. If the foundation is faulty then the entire structure is going to be faulty. I would advise the minister of education to spend resources on sending social workers into the homes. We are always assuming what the problem is, but have we tried to get the facts from the horse's mouth?
Don't misunderstand me, schools are not blameless, but the work cannot begin with them, schools are there to compliment the homes. How do you expect a child whose parents constantly fight and quarrel to behave in school? Children live what they learn. The teachers do try to instill discipline, but as soon as they return to the home environment they unlearn. Many students are from broken homes where one or both parents are absent, who is suppose to teach them the foundational lessons?
Schools are already overburdened with a ratio of one teacher to 40 or more students. It is not possible for the teachers to provide the attention that some children need.
Take keen note of the students who perform well; get high grades in GSAT and leave school with five or more subjects. These are usually students that have good parental supervision. It should not be difficult for us to see where the problem lies. Our legislators need to make it mandatory for the parents to attend parenting workshops and absent parents should be dealt with for their neglect. That would be the first stage of the operation to fix this deadly wound -- not a mere band-aid.
Fernon N Thompson
Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth
fthompson79@gmail.com
We are missing the point
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I have had serious concern for some time now as it relates to the expectations of schools and their obligations to students. I sometimes get the feeling that our principals and school administration are given a leaking bucket in which to carry water. I felt obligated to write in light of the report that was presented in Parliament on Tuesday, January 21, 2014, by Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites.
We hear reports ever so often of what the schools need to do to improve education and stop violence in schools. The Gvernment spends millions of taxpayers' dollars trying to fix the problem but, as Andrew Holness said in Parliament in response to the minister's statement, "this is just a band-aid for a wound that needs much more attention".
The focal point really needs to be in the homes; this is the first institution of development. If the foundation is faulty then the entire structure is going to be faulty. I would advise the minister of education to spend resources on sending social workers into the homes. We are always assuming what the problem is, but have we tried to get the facts from the horse's mouth?
Don't misunderstand me, schools are not blameless, but the work cannot begin with them, schools are there to compliment the homes. How do you expect a child whose parents constantly fight and quarrel to behave in school? Children live what they learn. The teachers do try to instill discipline, but as soon as they return to the home environment they unlearn. Many students are from broken homes where one or both parents are absent, who is suppose to teach them the foundational lessons?
Schools are already overburdened with a ratio of one teacher to 40 or more students. It is not possible for the teachers to provide the attention that some children need.
Take keen note of the students who perform well; get high grades in GSAT and leave school with five or more subjects. These are usually students that have good parental supervision. It should not be difficult for us to see where the problem lies. Our legislators need to make it mandatory for the parents to attend parenting workshops and absent parents should be dealt with for their neglect. That would be the first stage of the operation to fix this deadly wound -- not a mere band-aid.
Fernon N Thompson
Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth
fthompson79@gmail.com
We are missing the point
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