I COMMENCE this column with the statement that it is not my intention to be disparagingly critical of the efforts of the present PP administration.
I offer what I consider to be constructive comments and criticism and hope that it is taken in that spirit. I am aware that there are those in the administration and among the support base who are overly sensitive to criticism of any sort but we could only advance the national cause by the dialectical process of thesis countered by critical anti-thesis that hopefully redounds to a consensual synthesis.
I have dwelt on education and its underpinnings because it is so vitally crucial to any pursuit of national development. It is thus of great concern to all citizens. We must define the overall purpose of education and evaluate the formal and informal methods through which it is provided at the various levels in the system. It has to be stressed that all levels of the system and the associated support institutions are important from pre-school to primary to secondary and tertiary because a proper grounding at each level is necessary for satisfactory performance at the next level. There should be a seemless transition and a holistic approach. Inadequacy in performance in any sphere and at any level has to be identified and addressed as a matter of urgency as is the case with the majority of students who do not achieve acceptable standards.
Apart from academic training, the system should focus on the imparting of life skills, community ethos and civic responsibility. In view of the widespread concern for health issues, health education should be more effectively incorporated in teaching to promote healthy eating habits, exercise, avoidance of substance abuse and disease prevention. These facets should be inculcated at an early stage in student life so that health awareness and habits become ingrained when students become adults.
There is much talk today about the importance of innovation in the development of the economy and in securing a competitive edge. However, innovation does not occur in a vacuum and its spirit should be infused in all sectors of society- in the schools, in the work environment and in the social and governmental institutions. The focus should not be only on some tertiary level institutions, a few departments of government and a limited number of R&D sections of corporations. We must commit this society to a culture of innovation in which curiosity, enquiry, experimentation and perseverance is encouraged at all levels and in all spheres. The schools must be the primary vehicles through which this culture is nurtured.
However, to achieve the above the PP administration and particularly its Ministry of Education must have an appropriate vision for education – its national purpose, its delivery systems, the competence of the personnel employed, relevant curricula and avenues of community involvement and support. The Ministry of Education cannot be seen merely as the tentative manager of a flawed system and preoccupied with putting out bush fires. And this brings me to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education. I have already commented on the need for a thorough evaluation of the education provided at the tertiary level, where the quality may be compromised in the pursuit of rapid expansion and the award of certification. We may begin with assessing the usefulness of the course offerings, the rigour of the process of learning and the competence of graduates. I read in a newspaper recently “that one of the missions of the University of the West Indies is to conduct basic and applied research which serves to … create significant new knowledge”. It will be interesting to discover how much new knowledge, significant or otherwise, this premier tertiary institution has created in the last few decades and, if so, to what application has it been put. If little, then it becomes a meaningless mission and brings into question the enormous funds expended on this institution.
In addition the priority determined by this Ministry must be questioned. When I was a Member of Parliament for Oropouche, a technology centre in Debe was established. It started off training in automotive technology and I had envisaged that it would have been expanded to include the teaching of electronics, mechanical engineering and aspects of agricultural technology focusing on agricultural tools, equipment and machinery. Lo and behold under this PP administration the centre was closed and there is a plan to develop a south law education campus at Debe. Given the surfeit of lawyers and law students in the country today and in the light of the employment demands of the economy, the question I ask is whether law education should be given priority over technology education.
Also with respect to national priorities, the Ministry of Planning and the Economy has announced the pursuit of five strategic priorities. I have not seen education as such among them.
