In education, you earn what you spend

The following is the first of two excerpts from the speech delivered by new president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, Nadine Molloy, at the association's conference at the Jamaica Grande hotel, Ocho Rios, August 16.

THE VISION statement of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) pledges the association, 'To be the regional benchmark for teacher-membership organisations; setting standards of excellence in service delivery and commitment to national development through education.' It is with a sense of humility that I take on the responsibly of leading the charge of writing another chapter in the history of the JTA, of keeping alive the promise and veracity of our vision.

We have entered into an era when transformation has become a way of life globally, thanks to technology. Added to that, we are also at a juncture in our history here in Jamaica where the psycho-social ramifications of the times cannot be ignored. This time is also framed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (UNESCO) Education For All (EFA) goals and our local vision for 2030. The essence of both of these and other agreements confirms that education is perhaps the single most-important tool for sustained national development.

This 'new-each-day' experience has presented us with sometimes hard-to-assimilate realities. Didacus Jules, registrar of the Caribbean Examinations Council, at the 22nd biennial conference of the Caribbean Association of Principals in Secondary Schools (CAPSS) in 2009, made reference to the changing geographic, demographic and knowledge landscapes that are buoyed by rapidly exploding technological changes. He projected that knowledge would be doubling every 72 hours by this year, which would render college graduates, perhaps, obsolete in the information that they have gathered in their early years of study. According to recent media reports, the social networking community, Facebook, is now the third largest 'nation' in the world with a registered population of half-a-billion persons, jumping five places in two years.

Professional Development

Despite the odds, informed by variables such as these and an understanding that we must be continuously transformed, we at the JTA have opted to operationalise the theme: Creative Partnerships: Sustaining Educational Opportunities for National Development. This theme signals the JTA's acknowledgement of our critical roles as teachers in the educational landscape. It also underscores our long-standing commitment to be constantly engaged in all discussions and activities that affect the education system. We acknowledge the responsibility of being the premier education organisation with the responsibility for, not just union activities, but an even larger portfolio in the professional development of the over 24,000 members. As confirmation of our profound loyalty to this, our professional-development institute, established in 2000, is charged with the responsibility to guide our professional development activities.

We are happy that our minister of education, the Hon Andrew Holness, made the commitment to over 500 middle managers, in his keynote address at the JTA's education conference in April this year, to ensure collaboration and equity in all interactions and developments with the JTA, as they relate to education. We are pleased to hold the minister to that commitment as it certainly augurs well for our partnership. So, with new partnerships and broadened scope, we anticipate an exciting year of growth and achievement. We pledge to support the activities and initiatives designed to improve our country's human resource through education in a fair and equitable manner.

GSAT performance

The Jamaica Teachers' Association extends congratulations to members of the partnership that has successfully delivered improved Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) results this year. Teachers, you have done well in embracing as critical partners the Ministry of Education with its new curriculum policy shifts, interested parents/guardians and our children. This is a true demonstration of what effective partnerships can do. You have gone centre stage and forged this successful partnership despite the myriad issues that our education system presents. Your contribution to this country transcends the ordinary and must be recognised as such. We at the JTA look forward to next year when we are greeted with even better results.

Good school, bad school

I was disappointed with many of the recent comments generated by the publication of these results. While I acknowledge the distance that we still have to travel educationally, I was disappointed in the absence of an acknowledgement that we were indeed moving ahead. Many comments suggested that the status quo of the unfortunate dichotomy in education needs to be maintained. We descended to the good-school, bad-school discussion. Just maybe, I wondered to myself, those who are decrying the system and pointing out its every ill have no real idea what it is that we have been able to do, how far we have come and, so, instead of standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before, we, by our careless and thoughtless comments, are destroying that all-important foundation that has been laid.

I wondered just how motivated to carry on the process of personal improvement would the majority of our secondary-school students be when, despite receiving improved grades, they were told that they were not good enough, and destined to fail, through no fault of their own. I wondered what of my colleagues in these institutions who are all too aware of the odds that they beat every single day to get our students to experience value added, in the smallest of ways. How motivated would they be to go the extra mile, owing to the lack of resources and extra opportunities that other schools, relatively, easily possess? We hold no brief for 'traditional' high schools and we believe that the former new secondary schools should use wisely what they have, but I wondered why would we plan to pour additional resources into our 'top schools' and continue to starve the poor relations, the 'upgraded high schools'. Hopefully, the answers to these questions will further raise an awareness of the inequities that exist in our education system, and then generate a loud outcry for these inequities to be addressed. The disparity in the distribution of resources across our schools must be addressed with dispatch. I dare say it is not necessarily the legal framework that is needed - it needs the will of all of us.

We need an essential rearrangement of the mind that sees the child as an evolving being so delicate like a flower that is due the praise that will coax him or her into blossoming, remembering that discouragement often nips creativity, development and success at the bud. In effect, we are setting up too many of our children to fail from GSAT onwards. Our public comments and utterances ought to be tempered by an understanding of this and an appreciation that the less negative said about education in the public domain the better.

Inputs, fees

Professor Errol Miller, at the Eric Downie Memorial Lecture in 2009, made reference to a UNESCO survey published just before 2000, regarding the inputs into education, participation rates and performance levels, which showed that of the more than 90 developing countries that were surveyed, Jamaica ranked number one in terms of the level of input compared to the level of participation and performance of its students. In other words, the participation and output from the education system was much more than what one would expect, given the level of resources given to education.

The general conclusion is that the strength/performance of our education systems is best explained by the inputs and efforts of students, teachers and parents, more so than government expenditure. Especially in light of the recent dispute whether to pay or not to pay auxiliary fees, it leads me then to suggest that what is needed is a meeting of the minds, not a hardening of positions, regardless of how detrimental they are to the development of the system. Therefore, let us all place our strongest points on the table to find solutions and put them into action and to ensure positive results.

Minimum standards

It then leads me to make the call for the umpteenth time for the implementation of minimum standards at the pre and primary levels of education. This would significantly ease the stressors at the secondary level. The fact is many of our school buildings are unsuitable for educating and training young minds, young students are at the mercy of the elements, rooms are poorly lit and ill-designed. In addition, the crucial matter of testing and diagnosing children from early, so that learning challenges are addressed in a timely manner, is of paramount importance and must begin now.

I understand that while the fear of an increased compensation package often drives the determination of the pupil-teacher ratio, the time has come for us to be brave. Be brave and reduce the pupil ratio especially at the primary level where at 1:35 it is two and even three times that of some of our Caribbean neighbours. In all of this, bearing in mind that up to 15 per cent of our students may need to be in a special-education setting, calling for an even smaller pupil teacher ratio. It was the Jamaica Teachers' Association that fought long and hard to effect a reduction in the pupil teacher ratio from 1:50 many years ago. We continue agitation in this regard.

As we often like to do when we compare ourselves with our Caribbean neighbours, we should place this commentary in the full context of the social and economic reality of each territory. Jamaica spends half of that which most other Caribbean territories spend per child. You earn what you spend.

Perusal of The World Bank Working Paper Series on per capita expenditure in education in the Caribbean shows Jamaica as spending US$314, and US$460 respectively for primary and secondary education, St Kitts US$861 and US$1076, T&T US$642 and US$795. You earn what you spend.

Part 2 next week.