Education News from the Caribbean
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Letter: Nassau Institute's interview on education in the Bahamas
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| Published on Monday, September 21, 2009 | Email To Friend Print Version
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Dear Sir:
In your Education Section, you recently published an interview conducted by the Nassau Institute concerning education in the Bahamas. The teacher interviewed noted some of the issues facing the education system there such as, the poor quality of teachers, the problem of the qualifications and performance of many teachers, the traditional methods used by older teachers along with poor teaching materials, and the attitudes of subject heads.. The person interviewed went on to suggest certain solutions to some of these challenges.
It appears from this interview, that the Bahamas faces many of the the educational problems experienced by other Caribbean countries. It seems therefore that each Caribbean country experiences the same educational problems at the same time, and in the same way. Why is this so? Many Caribbean countries have tertiary level institutions which train teachers, and many governments offer scholarships to their citizens to study abroad. These professionals are therefore exposed to cutting edge knowledge in their fields. Why then do the problems continue to exist?
The issue of the poor quality of teachers indicated by the Bahamian teacher seems to rest with the kind of knowledge and professional training would be teachers receive. Should the educators at these institutions be blamed? It is well known, that in some institutions, the lecturers doing the training have received training that is suspect. They therefore transmit this to their clients. Many educators are not really grounded in their subject areas, and do not read journals or subscribe to publications in their areas in order to keep abreast of what is new and different in their fields. Many teacher educators are also not members of professional organisations where they could attend meetings to discuss issues which plague their system. Furthermore, in the case of those Caribbean countries that depend on recruitment of teachers to fill educational gaps, many of these teachers, when interviewed state that their main reason for applyinf was that the wanted to escape the crime situation in their countries, and work where the dollar is stable. Their motivations are therefore neither noble nor professional, and this affects their performance.
A serious factor that affects performance also, is the fact that many educators have barely scraped through their programmes and so do not have a deep grasp of their subjects which would challenge students to want to pursue that area. Some barely understand the information they are given, and are not trained in critical thinking. They pass on information to students, and the students give back the same information to be assessed by the teacher. There is therefore nothiong creative about the education that is given.
When teachers use traditional methods in the classrooms, they are harming the development of their own students, and the institutions in which they are giving service. It means transmitting outdated strategies and knowledge to students which are of no benefit to their educational, academic and professional development, or to the society which depends on their skills to move their countries forward.
The attitude of subject heads as the Bahamian teacher interviewed indicated, is a common Caribbean problem. There are many subject or department heads that act in many instances as if they are the principal of the school. They treat their colleagues with contempt, do not respect their professional knowledge, and many subject heads are not trained in departmental management, but act as if they possess more knowledge than their other colleagues in the particular department. Many subject heads practise bossism, rather than a collaborative approach to the issues in the various departments. This causes teachers to be turned off from the system, and they therefore seek jobs elsewhere. The different institutions that educators attend have different quality and academic standards, and this impacts on the type of education that is transmitted as well.
For the Bahamian and Caribbean educational systems to achieve their developmental goals, indigenous institutions would have to be upgraded and their programmes assessed regularly and be accredited by international agencies. Appraisal systems should be more rigorously implemented, qualifications should match the areas to be taught, clear educational goals, objectives and targets should be set, indicating where the system should be and how it should be performing over certain periods, and school managers should be required to attend professional seminars to enable them to update their knowledge and professional practice. Regular school audits should also be implemented so that the progress of the programmes are continuously monitored and managed.
Education is a serious business aimed at individual and national development. It is the tool that transforms practices and behaviours. It is also critical to creating a sense of nationhood and a literate and involved citizenry.
Oliver Mills | | | | Reads : 1093 | | | |
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