#BTColumn – Education reform in Barbados

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.

by Ayana Robinson

As a Barbadian citizen and a Sixth Form student, I am gravely concerned about some of the proposed reforms to education and the way in which the process is being navigated.

The Removal of the Common Entrance

Firstly, the Common Entrance examination is an integral part of our education system and should not be discarded without an alternative.

The current class 3 children and teachers deserve to know its alternative and it should be experimented with before its full implementation.

Moreover, ‘the 11+’ has always had the potential to put the prime minister’s daughter and the carpenter’s son in the same classroom.

This opportunity for industrious children of poorer backgrounds is still impossible in many countries, thus its removal should be handled cautiously.

Furthermore, ‘the 11+ exam’ is not merely a method of transfer to secondary school, it also diagnoses competencies achieved after compulsory primary education.

The learning deficiencies in mathematics and grammar exposed by ‘the 11+’ are not created at 11.

With our limited funds, I suggest that we focus on early childhood education.

We should focus on tackling issues such as dyslexia, autism and hearing and sight difficulties, which can make learning challenging.

In addition, we should focus on integrating new methods of teaching beyond the traditional “chalk and talk” to cater to different learning styles.

The sooner we diagnose these issues and adequately help our children, the sooner they can realize their full potential.

The ‘Specialised’ Senior Academies

Firstly, at virtually all post-secondary institutions across the globe, people can do double majors. If we allow people to explore multiple interests at 18, why on earth would we not allow them to do so at 14?

I am also concerned about what happens if a child loses interest in the speciality.

Any facilitation of transfers in this system is not likely to be effective. For example, if a student loses interest after two years at one Senior Academy, the child could not be transferred into the 3rd year of another due to a lack of knowledge.

To make matters worse, the defence raised by the government is “preparation for the labour market”.

Children should be seen as human capital, with interests and futures outside of the survival of capitalism.

Additionally, how will the government handle varying levels of demand for the different senior academies? At secondary school, community college and university most students want to study business.

It can therefore be inferred that a school of commerce would be highly requested, wouldn’t an exam have to be implemented to decide who can attend?

One criticism of ‘the 11+’ is that it puts too much stress on children. Imagine the stress caused at 14 knowing that your mark will determine your fate in your area of interest!

To add, why implement a specialized school in the blue economy when it isn’t even a subject currently?

I believe this subject should be added to the syllabus so that students would actually be able to cultivate an interest before focusing on this area.

Recommendations

Firstly, you cannot rectify a problem without understanding the underlying causes and the ramifications of the proposed solution.

In a democracy the best way of achieving this is serious consultation with the stakeholders including teachers, parents, civil society and most importantly, students.

I suggest town hall meetings like those utilised regarding Covid-19 vaccination. They can be facilitated in the various constituencies where the representative could hear the concerns, queries and suggestions of these stakeholders.

I also suggest these consultations be broadcast on traditional and social media.

Additionally, I strongly believe that some secondary schools should be retained in order to accommodate those students who do not wish to specialise.

The teenage period is one of self discovery, where children should be free to explore all of their interests.

Ayana Robinson is a student. This column was offered as a Letter to the Editor.