Anglican Church greatly concerned about Education Ministry’s survey controversy

The Anglican Church is greatly concerned about the incident relating to “the intent and effect of the test” reportedly administered to some secondary school students on Monday, Oct. 3, Bishop Michael Maxwell said.

In a video message, Maxwell said “while it has been described as a computer science pre-test,” some of the questions reported in the press and on social media, “seem to go beyond standard demographic information”.

According to Maxwell, best practice demands that the testing of human subjects, especially minors, should always be subjected to oversight by an ethics body responsible to ensure “that unintended harm is not done,” and also with the consent of parents or guardians.

“In this case, it may be asserted that harm was done, both in the present and the future,” Maxwell said.

Last Monday, first-form students at five of the island’s secondary schools had to complete a survey as part of a Computer Science test. The survey included invasive questions that many have argued have infringed on the students’ right to privacy.

The five schools affected by the survey were; Princess Margaret Secondary School, St George Secondary, Graydon Sealy Secondary, Queen’s College and the Coleridge and Parry School. A total of 733 children completed the survey.

Maxwell expressed the Anglican Church’s deep concern about the situation, “which involves a very important demographic within our society,” adding that it should be constructively addressed “to ensure that there is never a repeat of an incident of this nature”.

“Legally, ethically and practically, parents or guardians should have been informed and consent sought so that families would have had the choice to opt out of such an exercise,” he said.

“This is particularly important, because in an age of data privacy and based on what has been reported so far, the information gleaned from those students seems deeply personal and sensitive and could have potentially been used against them.”

Maxwell said the following questions need to be raised and addressed:

• Why was the test not reviewed by a Ministry of Education official before final administration, given the reported initial objections to a number of areas?

• Would the test be now administered to other children with the removal of the questionable items? If so, What is the ultimate validity and robust nature of the results?

• Does the Ministry of Education have a standard ethics body responsible for creating guidelines and or overight for the testing of all students under their care?

• What provisions will now be made for the mental health care of the participants who have been adversely affected by their participation in the survey, and who will finance this treatment?

According to Maxwell, the matter goes beyond an issue of the questions being offensive, “and may very well be described as an act of abuse and a wider agenda being pursued”.

He said the rendering of an apology ought not to be the final resolution to this matter.

At a news conference on Saturday, Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Kay McConney said: “I recognise that the Ministry apologising is not enough, that the Inter-American Bank apologising is not enough, that even though the Prime Minister of Barbados condemned the questions in her presentation yesterday, that too is not enough… this situation calls for clear action that will not just address some of the immediate hurt that has happened, but will also put this ministry on a footing to be able to do better going forward.”

According to Maxwell, in most developed countries, this matter would immediately result in legal action.

“Children represent the most precious gift and resource to the nation and our families. They must be protected when they are handed off by parents into the care of educators, caregivers, and I must add the church, we must all understand that we stand in loco parentis and most therefore do everything within our power to protect them physically, mentally and socially from harm and danger,” Macwell said.

Reporter Shamar Blunt contributed to this story.