Slow Learners Neglected

-

by Angela Goring

Primary School Children
Mr.Stewart Russell , a retired educator,  who has been intimately involved with teachers, teaching and their modalities for decades, recently wrote in our blog, that Barbados has a cadre of fine teaching professionals. I have great respect for his observations.

Education in Barbados is still being looked after by persons suffering from myopia. Of course, it takes all types to make up this world.  Academia is not the be all and end all of life today nor was it before either.  It was drilled into our heads that we needed to go to school and learn well, so that we may acquire ' a good' job. What is a good job anyway? So we all went to school; those bright sparks were places in the front seats and the others were relegated to the back because they were slow learners.  At the end of schooling, the bright sparks went off to the universities to become the doctors and lawyers that everyone looked up to.   The slower ones were taught "a trade", as it was called in those days, in order to make a living. But, guess what- neither group can exist without each another!  The trades people were looked upon as underachievers.

It is time now for the first responders in education, to put their prescription spectacles on, and look closely at re-teaching and re-tooling, to equip our students for the 21st century.  During the early years of the 1900's, Rawle Parkinson, understood the need for education reform and by adding subjects such as: carpentry, printing, shoe making and music to his school's curriculum, he was able to provide his charges with a more balanced educational experience.
For some time now it has been bandied about that our educational system needs reforming. I do not consider it a case of people not knowing what to do but merely not wanting to upset the class structures that exist in our country.
Each little one  born into this world has been endowed with gifts and skills which need to be harnessed and developed. They are shouting and crying out for help. No one hears their voices!
So to all of those persons in positions to make a difference, Wake up and stop  our slow learners from  falling through the cracks.

Angela Goring, is the owner of Ryannne’s Restaurant, Bridgetown Barbados. She is also the owner of AMAS Productions, a culture/entertainment promotions business

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Brasstacks Moderators Should Respect all Callers and Views

-
Image
                                                                   Letter from Brooklyn Walter Blackman Tucker Carlson                                                                                Michael Headley    By Michael Headley On a daily basis, I, like many other listeners, enjoy listening to VOB''s Getting Down to Brass tacks.  On any given day the talk show can be entertaining, funny, educational, informative or controversial, as callers voice their differing opinions on various topics.  And most Moderators allow for spirited give-and-take, to enlighten the listening audience.  ...
Read more

Teachers and Politics

-
Image
For some time, the society as a whole has been vehement in blaming our teachers for what many consider as deteriorating educational standards. Mahogany Coconut is of the view that such blame is unfounded and unfair. When we examine our educational system, we conclude that the vast majority of our teachers are competent and extremely professional.  However, we do not subscribe to the view that they are poorly paid.  Taking into consideration our resources, their salaries are comparable if not more attractive than those in many developing countries.  We also suggest that our school plant, at all levels, is vastly superior to what obtains in many of our neighboring island states. Since the mid 70’s, the collective DLP/BLP government, has systematically succeeded in damaging the image of our teachers and the general public has supported the DLP/BLP. As far back as the late 60’s and early 70’s, there have been clashes with prominent educators and our political leaders. T...
Read more

Perfect squares, perfect babies, and perfect gains

-
One Caribbean Nation. 2025: Perfect squares, perfect babies, and perfect gains By Professor C. Justin Robinson Ah, 2025—where mathematics meets Wall Street, and Generation Beta makes its debut. For us here in the Caribbean, it's another year to soak up the sun, tackle life's challenges with a smile, and sip on coconut water—or rum, depending on your mood. But what makes 2025 stand out? Grab your patties, your calculators, and your Wi-Fi connection; this year is no ordinary ride. A Mathematically Perfect Year First things first: 2025 is a perfect square year, 2025 is the square of an integer, the number 45. It's a rarity in the calendar, the kind of mathematical symmetry that gets nerds everywhere a little giddy. The last time this happened was 1936 (44 squared), back when the world was a very different place. If you missed that one, no worries—we all did. And unless you're planning to upload your consciousness into the cloud, you likely won't be around for the per...
Read more