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by Dr Ronnie Yearwood
Politics over People
Sometimes you read something and you are not sure if it is a joke. Then it dawns on you that perhaps the person in charge has no clue about what they are doing, or worse yet they think they do, as they amble from blunder to blunder with a glaring incompetence, only matched by their sheer tenacity for bluster.
However, when that person is the Minister of Education, the person in charge of one of the largest ministries, the future of our children, the educational system of a country and an annual budget of more than half a billion dollars, then it definitely cannot be a joke and should worry us all, especially educators and parents.
The Minister of Education does not appear up to the task whether in Education or when given other opportunities. We had from the Minister: the care packages fiasco; the problems surrounding the reopening of schools; no clear direction on whether the 11 plus will go ahead this year as it seems off and then on, then off again; the announcement of the ending of the 11 plus but no replacement plan; announcement on Master teachers but none yet in place; announcements on middle schools but nothing more; hiring a consultant to distribute tablets and laptops donated by the private sector; and while we may wish to, who could forget the brief disastrous spell as acting Prime Minister and the plan to close supermarkets after giving 24 hours’ notice.
The Prime Minister keeps providing opportunities for the Minister to redeem her public image, only for the list of failures to grow. Perhaps the Minister is operating far beyond her programming capabilities and the chief losers from that are our children. This clearly looks like politics over people and in Education it is time for People over Politics, to borrow Kirk Humphrey’s passionate and artful campaign slogan.
A shovel
The Minister of Education this week launched an app for the public to report “bad behaviour” of students. Since some on social media, including myself, questioned the policy, there has been some rolling back, or in political speak, ‘clarification’ about the app.
Apparently, the app is for the public and those inside schools to report bullying and not as reported in the media for bad behaviour. I am not sure how that makes any of the concerns disappear.
Would not bad behaviour include bullying? At the launch of the app, it was stated that “The SafeZone, Report It app anonymity feature… ensures that persons report violence, delinquency, misbehaviour, self-harm or bullying without reserve.” The Minister stated that the app would allow monitoring and reporting of incidents off and on the school plant.
Bad policy
There are some disturbing things about this app. The list of schools to pilot the use of the app does not include any of the so called “top” schools. How are the children from the pilot schools to feel?
If the Minister was going to proceed with the app for public use, which is problematic in itself, whether for general bad behaviour or bullying, then it should be for all schools and at the same time.
You cannot have a public reporting app of this nature ‘targeted’ at select schools. What is the message to those young people, their families and communities? Is it that the students of those schools are the only ones engaging in anti-social behaviour? Further, how is bullying being defined?
When will the public get that definition because I assume it is on that basis that the public will report bullying or other violence or delinquency as the app representatives clearly stated at its launch.
The policy seems ill-conceived for the modern context, which is ironic given that the focus is to use tech to combat negative behaviour and violence in schools. In the modern context, a lot of bullying may not even spill over into physical fights in public and is cyber focused, affecting the mental health and body image of students.
Priorities, Different apps
There are also many unanswered questions with the app. How are authorities to account for false reports? What are the consequences of being reported? When is the school or rather principal notified? And how does the app achieve one of the stated aims as expressed by the Minister, that is, to stop people from putting public displays of bad behaviour or bullying on social media?
Does the Minister understand how social media works? If there is money and resources for an education app how about an app with educational material for students or an app to assist teachers with online teaching, or an app that highlights the positive things our young people do in their schools and communities.
Stakeholders
The Minister is fond of talking about “stakeholders” in Education and the launch of the app was no different, but every parent of every child attending a government school knows that this is just political speak and does not include them or their children. Parents and children ceased having any say in education policies and decisions years ago.
They were collateral damage in the cold war that has developed between governments and teachers and while that war is waged the country’s education system and thousands of students have suffered.
Very few schools now have functioning PTAs and even those few that do, do not speak out as “stakeholders” as parents are afraid that their children will be victimized if they offer valid critique. Were the parents at any of the pilot schools consulted on this new app? For a Government that likes communication and forming new departments to communicate, the communication can seem a bit one way which makes it informing, not communicating.
Failure
We have an education system that is failing our children and the biggest reform, Edutech, also critically assessed was a failure. We know the issues to be addressed, so how many more reports or committees do we need? Instead of an app and PR to tackle anti-social behaviour, why not invest in social workers, counsellors, at risks programmes at schools instead of simply suspending students, supporting families, supporting breakfast programmes, extending nursery and pre-primary education, supporting existing and creating new after school homework programmes and activities.
The app focuses on the symptom, not the core issue. I accept that the current Minister has many issues in Education to address, some of which were inherited, but my point is that by any measure the Minister does not appear up to the task.
I have assessed decisions and statements made by the Minister of Education before and expressed concern. I am not sure how policy is being made, because surely some level headed policy maker or educator in a meeting where this app was discussed would have forced a rethink.
Then again, last October, I took issue with the Minister and her statement on people having no pedigree to be in public life, so why am I surprised that this Minister has no clue about equality and fairness in our education system, or what is required of a modern education system.
If the Minister did, there is no way an app for bad behaviour would have been piloted in some schools, far less approved. The app says more about the Minister than anything else. The bottom line is that the country and our children deserve better.
Stay safe everyone.
Dr Ronnie Yearwood is a lecturer in law, lawyer and social commentator. Email: yearwood.r.r.f@gmail.com
