Dear Editor,

WITH most of the dust settling on the CXC results, I respond to my inner compulsion to make a statement, as a CXC teacher (though now part-time) for more than two decades in both public and private schools.There seem to be two sets of orientation that guide the commentaries on the number of subjects attempted by our students. Among the issues discussed regarding the students’ attempts of more than ten CSEC subjects are: readiness; social pressure to do so; the impact on the students’ health, psyche and rounded development; real benefit of all these subjects to the student; and even the relayed benefit to society.

A recurring question is: Does the student really need all these subjects? For the folks who believe that students are under pressure to write too many subjects, their concerns are pregnant with merit, but only if the student is of low ability and is being coerced, either directly or indirectly, in an institutionalised way to attempt more subjects than he/she really can cope with on a normal scale.

It’s not as helpful when the motivation is to compete for some known reasons, though in competition a catalyst to reveal potential may exist. The alternative opinion informs that as long as the student has the ability and wants to do twenty subjects, let that student’s potential be challenged.

My reservation here, however, lies with some of the criteria used to determine the student’s potential to write in excess of ten subjects. Since it is impractical for 15-20 subjects to be timetabled for quality delivery in school, the “lessons industry” comes to some relevance. Here, the diagnostic instruments used to determine the student’s readiness and the preparatory modalities for the exams must come into question.

If the lessons’ institution is motivated by profits only, at the expense of genuineness in curriculum delivery, especially when it comes to the flexibilities in catering for individual differences, then we have a problem.

There exist, however, quite a few reputable “lessons” teachers and institutions that have, over the years, been of tremendous help to students. The valedictorians and successful students can attest.
The schools actually, in a passive way, sanction the lessons by merely allowing students to write more subjects than being offered in their normal instruction time. This is bearing fruit to a budding exploitative process on a concerned scale involving a soliciting tactic of teachers in some schools, using their influence to make low achievers believe they can actually write ten or more subjects. The benefit to the teacher comes with the student being privately tutored for very rewarding hourly fees.

There is nothing wrong with private tutoring of additional subjects, but the sole objective must never be to increase a teacher’s income.

I now come to the question of the need for as many subjects. A student may indeed not need twenty subjects for entry into any tertiary institution of any caliber, but should this be the only yardstick to measure NEED in this context? If, for the sake of challenging one’s self, a student wants to attempt 15 subjects, then why use the psycho-social development (or under-development) of the child as a deterrent? Has any research been conducted to show the relationship between the number of subjects attempted by a student and his/her capacity to function as a normal member of society?

Some may argue that the mere exposure to various subjects can increase the child’s versatility, not only academically, but socially as well. Knowledge leads to conversations and conversations lead to healthy interactions. Healthy interactions, in turn, influence positive self-esteem.

Others may even argue that there are many more impacting variables in our homes and society that may inhibit students’ psycho-social development than just the number of subjects they attempt at CSEC.

Some commentaries labelled these students as “nerds” and other unfavourable nicknames, coming with the explanation that “they need a life.” If the time taken for, and the perceived pressure in, preparation for as many subjects may lead some to make such assertions, then to be reminded of the advancements in technology/communication at this age may be a good effort.

While, in 1988, photocopiers were like extra-terrestrial (ET), for Guyanese in 2016, the access to past papers online and the availability of Youtube videos and Google have made information access a mere challenge to even the need for memory. The website https://www.khanacademy.org/ contains scores of videos that our high-school students can use in some ways beneficial to them more than a teacher in a classroom can.

A video can be replayed for as many times as a student needs for clarity, without the fear of affecting progress of a class or testing the patience of the teacher. Students today also have the luxury of communication with others and their teachers via messenger apps and social media for questions whose answers don’t have to wait until the next morning in school.

Altogether, the degree of stress that we may deem a result of an above-average child attempting twenty subjects at CSEC may very well be lessened by the aid of technology. Beside, should we be so conclusive about the relationship between the number of subjects and a child’s development more than we are concerned about the availability of facilities and capable management systems for youth involvement in sports?
Sports, after all, assist in social development.

The question of time for sports may be posed for the students writing 15 and more subjects, but with the explanations above regarding techno aid, a child can still find time for 15 subjects and play tennis, though perhaps not enough time for professional sport development.

Are the West Indies cricket woes a result of students writing too many subjects at CSEC? For those who feel the subjects are too many for the sake of numbers, try telling Usain Bolt he was too ambitious to try for nine medals instead of six, or try telling Michael Phelps he should have gone for twelve medals only. Self-confidence may be the only thing an above average student needs and will have available at an older age to take him/her through some of the seemingly insurmountable tasks. Writing twenty CSEC subjects can be the source of such confidence.
Regards,
KALESH RAMSAROOP