By Shirley Thomas

LOCAL Pan-Africanists are not at all happy with where education across the Caribbean is headed these days, and have collectively decided to do something about it.

Education among the youth of Guyana and the Caribbean, they say, is in crisis; and with that thought aforemost, they recently convened a forum in observance of African Civilisation Day at the Pan-African Gardens (Merriman Mall) on Albert Street, here in the city.

Keynote speaker at the event was former University of Guyana (UG) lecturer Dr Kenneth Hunte. Other speakers were Dr David Hinds and Ms Leslyn Elliot, both of whom also teach at the University of Guyana. Moderator was Eric Phillips, Chairman of the African Cultural Development Association (ACDA).

Phillips, who contended that Guyana is slowly becoming an illiterate nation, said: “It’s a visible secret that we are all aware of…especially since we know education has been the key to success for African-Guyanese and Guyanese in general.”

He said that while there are a number of reasons for the problem at hand, the Pan-African Movement of Guyana, which convened the meeting, is optimistic that given the new political climate, Guyana can look forward to the kind of support that will see it once again becoming “the most literate nation in the Commonwealth.”

HUNTE’S FINDINGS
Dr Hunte, meanwhile, took a more clinical approach, saying there are any number of indicators for measuring the effectiveness of education, and addressing a few.

Critically analysing what obtains here at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination, he said that only 50 per cent of the nation’s 16-plus age group are entered for the regional CSEC examination. And the reason for this, he said, is that the remaining 50 per cent do not satisfy the criteria for acceptance to the exam.

Further, of the 50 per cent who actually write the examinations, only one-third achieve CSEC Grades 1 to 3 in English Language. “This means that only about 16 per cent of the nation’s 16-plus age group can use English, which is a core subject, effectively,” Dr Hunte said.

Which brings us to the question: “Is English becoming a foreign language in Guyana?”

This level of underachievement, Dr Hunte said, began in our primary schools, and should have been spotted by the performance of students at the National Assessments at Grades Two, Four, Six and Nine.

Among other basic indicators to which he alluded were: a whopping 50 per cent of the nation’s teachers are not trained graduates; the University of Guyana, over the last 10 years, has failed to churn out graduates in Physics; there is great reluctance among educators to speak about students’ under-achievement. Conversely, many teachers actually believe that they are doing a good job, mainly because they are actually unaware of the expected outcomes of education; there is need for a revisiting of the education methodologies; there is need for implementing appropriate remedial interventions to improve student-achievement; there is a pattern of socially unacceptable and violent behaviours of our youth, which has become the norm in society and is due mainly to the way our children are being educated to think. It is a reflection of our system of values for humanity and a reflection of us; the schools’ curriculum needs to include aspects of education that would empower students to become reflective thinkers. That way, they can grow up learning to understand the consequences of their decisions and other persons’ decisions as well, and how best they can contribute to national development.
“Today, the crisis in education is a reflection of the value we place on the education of all of our children. Crises in education are man-made or person-made, and are caused by the poor and prolonged management of resources. We can do a lot better with the resources we have, even though they are limited; and that is what we have to work at,” Dr Hunte said.

MORE TO BE DONE
Asked what he thought about the situation, Technical Facilitator to the Ministry of Education and former Registrar of the University of Guyana, Mr Vincent Alexander, said: “I would not use the word ‘crisis’, but would say that much more needs to be done.”

He recalled that he and fellow academician Dr Henry Jeffrey had addressed some of the key areas of concern in relation to education in Guyana, on the programme “Spotlight” on Channel 9 sometime in the past.

Contending that one cannot talk about education in isolation, Dr Hunte said there are other considerations, such as adequate remuneration for those at the delivery end of things; the environment in which we operate; factors such as poverty, and how it impinges on those to whom education is delivered; how hunger can affect the child’s performance at school; and the whole notion of the value system and how it could affect behaviours.

On the issue of the University of Guyana not having produced graduates in Physics for the last 10 years, Mr Alexander explained that the reason for this is because the institution has had cause to suspend its Physics programme because there was a lack of lecturers to teach the subject. But in an effort to remedy the situation, he said, the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) was asked to commence offering a two-year Associate Degree Programme in Physics.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, commenting on the education system during a parliamentary sitting last June, had observed: “While the public education system might not have collapsed to the point of complete ruin, the country is far too close to (ruin) for comfort…”

Dr Roopnaraine noted: “We’ve consistently had a series of well-crafted education policies constructed by qualified professionals, and remarkable individual showings by individual students at exams; yet, our delivery of education services remains unsustainable and uncompetitive.”

He said the baseline for future planning on education has to be significant reform of the system.

NGSA FAILURE
And addressing the National Awards Ceremony at the National Cultural Centre last November, President David Granger had reason to contend that the secondary school education system here is a rebuke to the belief in equality, inclusivity and meritocracy, while lamenting that education at that level is not universal.

The administration inherited the flaws when it came to power, he said. The education system was under reform, but began to rapidly deteriorate about three and a half years ago.

President Granger also noted the alarming number of drop-outs from secondary schools, and that each year more than half of the students who undertake the National Grade Six Assessment fail. “This means that our secondary education system is not producing the desired results,” he said. “It means that half of the students who enter the secondary school system may not be qualified to be there.”

(sthomas@guyanachronicle.com)