This view was expressed by Assistant Chief Education Officer (CEO) Ms. Melcita Bovell in her address to parents of students from nursery, primary and secondary schools in Central Georgetown in the first “face the community” meeting at St. Angela’s Primary on Thomas Street, Georgetown, as part of activities for Education Month 2009.

Bovell said this simple but effective approach will significantly help teachers in moulding disciplined students in the school system.

She pointed out that parents are their children’s first teachers and should not neglect listening to the views of their children at secondary school, as their failure in this regard can negatively affect them in some of the decisions they make.

Bovell urged parents to gauge the diverse views of their children and provide counselling that will point to practical, workable and reasonable solutions.

These regular “check-ups”, she said, can reveal the reason for students’ poor performance, poor punctuality, and lack of discipline, as well as ways to get around these shortcomings.

Bovell stressed that for a child to perform at his/her best, that individual must be disciplined and be regular and punctual at school.
Bovell lamented that when students are absent, the curriculum does not freeze to accommodate them, and as a result they miss vital lessons.

Bovell encouraged parents too to ensure their children keep and adhere to a study timetable as one of the goals of the Ministry of Education is that every child leaving secondary school should have at least six Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects.

She noted that the Ministry, in an effort to realise this goal, has introduced 40 Sixth Forms in secondary schools this term, catering for the poor performers at the National Grade Six Assessments (NGSA).

The senior education officer said unlike the established Sixth Form secondary schools, the new Sixth Form schools will dedicate the Form One level to bring unsatisfactory performers at the NGSA on par with normal secondary school students.

These classes, she pointed out, are being taught by experienced teachers who will, apart from improving the students grades, will focus on building their morale and self-esteem.

Acting CEO Primary, Mrs. Bibi Ali, who also spoke at the meeting, emphasised the importance of reading, noting this is a responsibility which does not rest only with teachers, but requires the involvement of parents as well.

She reported that the results of a reading survey conducted by the World Bank on Grades Two, Three and Four pupils last year showed that 60 per cent cannot read simple passages and pronounce simple words.

Ali appealed to parents to encourage their children to read more and look at television less, stressing that the TV is their major distraction.

She also urged parents to tell their children stories with good moral values and set high standards for them to emulate.

She contended that parents drinking and using indecent language in the presence of their children will send the wrong signal to them, as they have a habit of adopting their parents’ behavior.

Education Minister Shaik Baksh, at the recent launching of activities to mark World Literacy Day at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD, urged teachers to resuscitate their school libraries.

He warned head teachers who failed to do this will be sanctioned.
Meanwhile, NCERD Director, Mr. Mohandatt Goolsarran, said that the Ministry of Education has received some $US5M worth of text books from overseas, and these have been distributed to schools throughout the country.