Home » Posts » #BTSpeakingOut – In defence of the 11-plus

#BTSpeakingOut – In defence of the 11-plus

by Barbados Today Traffic
3 min read
A+A-
Reset

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

by Michael Gittens

The Common Entrance Examination has been maligned by many though it has historically been the fairest test to place primary school children into secondary school. Miss Jones’ grandson who possessed just two shirts and one trouser at primary school was bright enough to take what his nut seller granny could afford and go sit at Harrison College beside plantation owner Mr. Peabody’s son who got dropped to school each morning in a BMW.

That test has played a monumental part in the development of Barbados and especially for persons of my social background and pigmentation. Every test known to man in every jurisdiction on the planet has persons who pass and those who fail. We should not fix an unbroken system that serves the purpose that ALL tests serve – separating. What we should be doing is to put systems in place to give every possible opportunity to those who ‘fail’ at a particular juncture, the mechanisms to succeed at whatever they might be inclined towards, whether we do it at 10, 11, 14 or…..

What successive governments should do and have failed to do, is to ensure that the resources made abundant at the Queen’s Colleges, Combermeres and Harrison Colleges, are equally abundant at the other so-called or believed-to-be “lesser schools”.

In the same manner that teachers are held to a high standard at the Lodge Schools, and the Alleyne Schools and the St Michael Schools, they should not be allowed to get away with any slackness, indifference and/or incompetence at the so-called or believed-to-be “lesser schools”. At the end of the day, schools without students and teachers are just concrete, wood and steel. The students and teachers [and parents] make these structures schools.

We constantly look for scapegoats in our systems when things go awry. The reason that student B ends up in prison has nothing to do with him or her failing the Common Entrance Examination and not getting the chance to go to The Lodge School which was just around the corner from his home.

He might be in prison because he was neglected by teachers at the school he did attend, he might be in jail because of poor parenting, poverty, missed opportunity, peer pressure, drugs, a combination of all these factors, etc. Or, he might be in prison because he was simply bad to the bone and jail was the best place for him. There is no system that will save all.

But we must provide avenues and opportunities to get the best out of those who are simply not as “bright” as the guy next door. We all have varying levels of intelligence and must maximize what we have and be given the tools to maximize these abilities. One just has to listen to some parliamentary debates and we realize that not everyone is as smart as his or her attire make them look. But there they are – opportunity grasped. One just has to visit Dodds Prison and one is sure to find a few from the Alexandras and Coleridge & Parrys of Barbados – opportunity missed. Did the 11-plus do that? Take one guess as to who has stigmatized many of our schools – you’re correct – ignorant Bajans!

Michael Gittens ia a proud and successful old scholar  of [unimportant].

You may also like

About Us

Barbados Today logos white-14

The (Barbados) Today Inc. is a privately owned, dynamic and innovative Media Production Company.

Useful Links

Get Our News

Newsletter

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

Barbados Today logos white-14

The (Barbados) Today Inc. is a privately owned, dynamic and innovative Media Production Company.

BT Lifestyle

Newsletter

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Accept Privacy Policy

-
00:00
00:00
Update Required Flash plugin
-
00:00
00:00