Education News from the Caribbean
as of
|
Letter: Education in Grenada
|
| Published on Saturday, September 19, 2009 | Email To Friend Print Version
|
Dear Sir:
In your education section of September 12, 2009, you published a statement by Prime Minister Thomas of Grenada in which he called for a collaborative approach to improving education.
Among other ideas he states that parents and communities must be involved, as well as church boards, and that students must work harder and become more disciplined.
It is also noted that Grenada has a 40% skills gap, and that young people have not been trained in the skills needed by the workplace. The Prime Minister further said that the Grenada educational system must adopt the problem solving approach.
The Prime Minister is right on all of these issues. There is definitely a need for a collective approach to improving education, however, collaboration is not enough. The partners must have a knowledge of different philosophies of education, the strategies that contribute to an effective educational system, and insights into the efficient management of that system. Dialogue can bring the issues to the fore, but knowledge of the issues precedes dialogue.
The questions to be posed also are, Why does Grenada have a 41% skills gap? And why have young people not been trained with skills that are relevant to the workplace? What has the education system been doing instead of equipping its clients with appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes? If an educational system is not relevant to the society's needs, then what purpose does it serve? It is good though that someone at the level of the Prime Minister has recognised these issues and is turning his attention to dealing with them.
The Prime Minister makes an important point when he mentions the necessity for the problem solving approach. This ensures that critical and creative thinking are brought to bear on the issues, producing alternative outcomes, and not leading to blinkered thinking where a single viewpoint is advanced.
These are good observations by the Grenadian Prime Minister, but he would need to employ sophisticated political skills and the bully pulpit to get his ideas implemented, bearing in mind the conservative nature of the Caribbean educational bureaucracy.
Oliver Mills | | | | Reads : 1218 | | | |
|
|
 
Click here for Education News archives prior to February 16, 2007...
|
