TODAY’S EDITORIAL as at April 7th 2011
Topic: Dr. Gopeesingh’s decision to reduce extra-curricular school activity.
DON’T BLAME GOPEESINGH FOR TRYING TO TAME THE TIGER
By David A.M. Fraser
Education in Trinidad was not about liberation. Tertiary education started off to train middle management in the private sector. The Institute of Business (IOB) was created for this purpose. The IOB was not about developing entrepreneurs and thinkers. The IOB morphed into the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business. The problem continues.
The Colonial Elementary Education System of the 1950’s and 60’s was a powerful successful model that was working well in the West Indies. Those were also the days of corporal punishment and the Teacher ruled supreme. Ironically, the Colonial education structure gave us the only entrepreneurs of note we have today. That system and syllabus of education was abolished without any worthy replacement.
Secondary education was supposed to be universal. Only, we had no teachers, nor people of the caliber to train and properly prepare children for the working world.
As a management strategy, the state took the good teachers from the Private Prestige Schools and made them Principals and Teachers at the Junior Secondary Institutions. This strategy failed. The hope was for technology transfer and methodology improvement to occur at public schools, which were already failing at the primary school level.
These newly appointed principals were not accustomed to managing or working in unruly public school environments, where the rules were very flexible, and followed procedures which recognized student rights above those of the teacher.
Delinquency is now the order of the day at these institutions, where chaos and mayhem rule supreme. The rod of correction was replaced by liberal school governance
structures, which spared the Rotan and is spoiling the children.
The United States in some jurisdictions retained and reintroduced paddling, harsh detention, and expulsion of children for unruly and disruptive behaviour. Such children are put into a database and followed up for corrective action. Dr. Gopeesingh may have his faults, but at least he is trying to tackle serious problems at the school place. CXC no longer recognizes proper English. Teachers are not mandated to be orators, and the ghetto language is encouraged. The theory is that once you can communicate, or have a general idea of what you are conveying, this is good enough.
This is an actual policy throughout the West Indies. Please note the correlation of the problems across the region, with crime and violence being supreme. Believe it or not! This is definitely one for Ripley’s.
UWI and UTT are churning out graduates that are stuck in the West Indies, and will not be able to move beyond these borders for two reasons:
1. They are not recognized graduates and;
2. They are incapable of communicating with anyone beside themselves, the unique dialect syndrome.
Unfortunately, we have people immersed in mediocrity and the emotional drug of "we special, we unique," and this is "sweet T&T". Many are blinded from the harsh reality that the world is interconnected and absolutely interdependent. No one can offer a definition to substantiate these defense preambles, which preclude any ludicrous statement they are about to make.
We import tomatoes from temperate climates and thousands of hectares go idle and wasted right here, and we complain about food inflation. Do not take this as cynical. Until there is a policy to create an education structure which encourages entrepreneurs who can design products to sell to the world, Trinidad will continue down an abyss of no return.
I cite no stronger a case than the decision of the Courts to allow a muslim to wear a hijab at a Catholic Institution (School). This victory was against the status quo, not for the right of the child to wear muslim garb at a Christian institution. The tail wagging the dog syndrome is fulfilled.
Should it have been the other way around, and Catholic's and/or other Christian students wore symbols of Christianity at a muslim institution, I wonder what would have been the reaction?
People see politics in everything in Trinidad today. The society is trapped and mired by political issues. The focus should be better education for all, not bacchanal, confusion, and mayhem. I am still amazed that we have illiterate people calling talk shows to criticize the education system and the decisions of Dr. Gopeesingh, and politicians listen to this diatribe.
The Tiger has been let out of the cage. It is now very difficult to put it back inside. However, someone has to take the tough decisions. I support Dr. Gopeesingh's efforts at improving the education system. He must restore important traditions and rules, and also improve on the old model.
The goodly Minister must also get rid of the liberal policy that now produces tomorrow’s gang leaders, and perhaps terrorists, as there is a fine line between the two activities. And, please, how I long for the reintroduction of the good old-fashioned wild cane (Rotan). (Although this is hardly likely, since it will reverse the Prime Minister) Remember folks, there is absolutely no substitute for a good cut a…s. Press on Tim.
Respectfully Submitted,
David A.M. Fraser
David A.M. Fraser - Founder: davidfraser@dafsocialmediapoll.com
Arlette L-M Jeet - Partner: arlettejeet@dafsocialmediapoll.com
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DAF Social Media Poll blog: http://dafsocialmediapoll.blogspot.com
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David A.M. Fraser and Arlette L-M Jeet and their DAF Social Media Poll Team
“WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD SUCCESSFUL NATIONS”
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