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Education stakeholders gathered on Friday to discuss the root cause for underachievement of schools in Port of Spain and environs.
The topic was discussed during a virtual joint select committee meeting on human rights, equity, diversity, and equal access to education. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Education, and other education stakeholders including various denominational boards of education and the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA).
Committee Chair Hazel Thompson-Ahye said the academic performance index suggests PoS and environs have the highest number of schools under academic watch.
“It is the view that in the first instance we have to determine whether we are going to investigate underachievement of students, which is not the same as underachievement of schools,” said TTUTA president Andonia Tekah-De Freitas in her opening statement.
“We do not believe at this time that looking at underachievement in schools in an isolated context would bring any beneficial results. There needs to be a more comprehensive approach, not only for PoS schools but schools across the country.”
CEO of the Catholic Education Board of Management Sharon Mangroo said while some of the 29 schools in the area managed by the board can be classified as underachieving, defining a student by examination marks is not enough. “Our students (and) schools are far more than marks made in exams. I think we need to look at other factors.”
She said there are two things that should be considered when evaluating these schools: that the schools are in designated hot spots and the level of poverty of the families. “We are looking at safety needs that are not being met. Until we meet safety needs it will be difficult to go beyond.”
Mangroo commended teachers working in these areas who go to school every day despite concern for their safety and create a safe space for students.
President of the National Primary Schools’ Principals Association Charlene Ross-Quamina said another contributing factor for failing schools is the lack of attention to multiple intelligences in Secondary Entrance Assessments (SEAs).
“The only national comparative test is the SEA. If one is basing underachievement on the SEA results, one has to be certain it is a fair assessment.”
She said students are given their results based on a single day of testing, focused on math and language arts which is in contradiction to the curriculum base which focuses on the wholistic development of the child.
“What happened to catering for multiple intelligences, including technical skills?” She said 45 of the 72 public primary school principals in PoS participated in a questionnaire evaluating student performance in the area. She said principals felt there would be no question of underachievement if areas such as sport, drama, dance, visual and performing arts were equally weighted.
President of the National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA) Clarence Mendoza said the government should take a closer look at the performances of government schools which, he felt, have lost its way. He said the lack of value of spirituality has led to an increase of indiscipline among students over the years.
Mendoza also said the Concordat – a memorandum that aims to preserve the character of denominational schools in the TT – has kept the rights of the child at the highest level. “The NPTA, being a strong advocate for our nation’s children, clearly sees the concordat has kept the rights of the child at the highest level.”
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