Public primary schools must get full attention, says Professor

by Randy Bennett

Invest in public primary school education or pay the price.

That caution has come from principal of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Professor the Most Honourable Eudine Barriteau, who has maintained that the country’s societal issues could worsen if public primary schools do not get the necessary attention.

She said this was critical even though private primary schools were becoming exceedingly popular, more than 80 per cent of Barbados’ children attend public
primary schools.

“I regard public primary education as the bedrock of our educational system.

“It is simply the foundation of the education system and our society, and this is so, whether we want to accept it or not.

“If as a society, primary education is deficient, we will observe and experience the consequences of that, as these girls and boys grow physically but do not possess the skills, aptitude or civic-mindedness necessary to navigate an increasingly complex world.

“Even within the known resource constraints, if as a society we do not invest in ensuring that public primary education receives the material resources and networks of necessary support, we are going to harvest greater societal challenges than what we are now experiencing,”
Professor Barriteau warned while delivering the feature address at the Association of Public Primary School Principals’ Annual General Meeting at Solidarity House
this morning.

“I encourage you to think of the educational product as producing well-rounded, civic-minded boys and girls with a love for learning, a thirst for further knowledge, confident, capable and committed to their communities and country.”

Speaking on the topic, ‘Public Primary Education: The Foundation of a Society’s Development’, she explained that children from disadvantaged backgrounds had the chance to improve social mobility through education.

She reinforced, however, that not only ‘school work’ was taught in those educational institutions.

The veteran educator pointed out that the schools also assist in establishing in each child a sense of self and cultural identity and build self-confidence.

“…What you are doing at the pre-primary and primary school level is the beginning of the building of social capital so necessary for social cohesion and well-being.

“For every child in primary school that you assist in developing a sense of confidence and worth, a belief that they have a life worth living and a society to which they
feel they are part of, you are replenishing the social capital
of our society.

You are helping to strengthen the fabric of our society. Whether that social fabric is torn and frayed, or strong and resilient, depends very much on several features; your embrace of your leadership role, and the support you receive from the multiple partners you must work with to ensure that primary education continues to make worthwhile contributions to the learning and lives of girls and boys,” she pointed out.

Professor Barriteau said the need for the implementation of preventative rather than remedial measures was also critical.

“In Barbados and the Caribbean we are too good at remedial measures and not preventative measures. We do not invest enough in the conditions that befriend the things we don’t want and when the things happen we find the money for the scanners in schools, security guards, the extra prison officers, the expansion in the force,” she contended.

(randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)