My ideas to revive Jamaican High Schools
Since we are a nation that believes in brand names and tradition, why not use them to our advantage? Here are my suggestions (as there’s no one solution):
1 Follow what the universities are doing. Expand some of the traditional high schools by adding other campuses in rural areas, e.g., Ocho Rios needs a good boys’ school, so Jamaica College or Calabar can have another campus in that region. Our boys would be motivated to join long-standing traditions. Transfer all the benefits, culture, branding, etc, to attract children in those areas. Have teachers visit as guest instructors so that the schools can maintain the same level of expectations.
2 UPGRADE the standards of technical schools and incorporate specialisation in today’s relevant technical skills. For example, focus on construction at every level, computer science, culinary science, performing arts, and sports.
3 COURT the Church to be more involved. In order to bring back our children from the grasp of negative social behaviours, encourage church leaders to play a more active role in school administration.
4 Though it may seem to many parents like an impossible scenario to consider, it may be beneficial to REVIVE the boarding system. Where necessary, keep the children off the road, cut down on daily travel and concentrate on instilling discipline.
5 RESEARCH what Caribbean and international neighbours are doing with their schools. Trinidad, like the United States and Canada, uses the regional placement system. This means that there is an attempt to equalise school quality. Families can relocate in confidence.
6 ABOLISH the one-off GSAT. How they perform throughout elementary school will decide their fate. This means that a child won’t have to worry about a daunting exam that may demoralise him and his parents.
7 TRANSFORMATION is required by building new schools, merging some schools and closing some schools. Change is a very easy word to comprehend, but very big to digest. Unfortunate, non-performing schools located in undesirable areas with uninspiring reputations need to be either closed or relocated. If parents are being made to understand that they must accept placements, they have to be worth the effort.
8 We should EXPLORE and ADAPT. The infrastructure must change. The PTA, alumni, and others must come together to raise the will and the funds to maintain school infrastructure.
If the Jamaican Government can implement some of these measures, it can be accountable and can justify the placement restriction to the region in which students live.
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1. Do you have any proof that a boys’ school would ensure that boys do better in schools? Would you provide a little more detail so I can understand the rationale behind your proposal? I would also like for you to expand on the guest instructors bit. How would that work at that level? Are high school students mature enough to be able to handle that kind of scenario? Or do they do better when they have continuity? Have you seen it work?
Why do you think that an extension of an established school would do better than a new school? Would an extension school, that take a school outside of the structure of a secondary school, and make it into something else?
2. This has been on the table for a long time. One big issue is the finances necessary to outfit the workshops. One strategy that was proposed was for the workshops to be established/upgraded in schools that are readily assessable to a number of other schools, and so they could work out a time table that allows schools to share the facility. According to some, the traditional high schools are resisting this move as they appear to believe that it would have some negative impact on them. Is it that they believe that they will be seen as a less prestigious space? Our culture sometimes stand in the way of progress.
3. A large percentage (most?) of the schools are ‘owned’ by a church. In those cases, the church is involved at the board level. The chairperson and a specified number of board members are from the church. Common sense would dictate that the church chooses members who would best contribute to the development of the school. In what other ways do you think that the church’s role could be of benefit to the schools? Please give some details.
4. I agree with you that there are advantages to the boarding system, however, boarding schools are expensive and too many would be denied access to secondary education. In fact, are there any exclusively boarding schools? I believe that they all have what they refer to as “day students” – those who do not board on the campus.
5. A lot of research has been done. It is known what other territories are doing. The issue is that it does take cash to care – lots of it – and there is not enough to go around. I do believe though, that maybe the issue is how to make best use of the little cash that there is. But then again, not being a part of the decision making process, I may not be aware of all the issues that the Ministry of Education has to deal with.
6. The GSAT is being restructured. It will no longer be just a one off exam. The assessment will include work done over a period of time. What I would like to see happen is that the exam not be used as a placement exam, but more as a diagnostic tool so that students abilities and needs can be determined and catered for by the secondary or other appropriate system. It makes no sense to me that students leave the primary school system with special needs that the secondary system cannot address. These children then pass through the system and a end up no better off than when they entered.
7. This issue of building, merging, and closing have been addressed. There are schools that we would recommend for closing down, but if it does, there are students who would be denied access since they would have to travel to other schools. Many of these schools are in the rural areas, and although they may be geographically near, students would have to take 3 or 4 different transportation to reach to school. The cost of travelling is outside the reach of many.
8. I agree that entities must work together to improve the schools. The schools who do well have strong alumni and parent support. Many past students have skills that could contribute to the cause, but there are too many who may not have the will/the know how to make a difference.
1. Do you have any proof that a boys’ school would ensure that boys do better in schools? Would you provide a little more detail so I can understand the rationale behind your proposal? I would also like for you to expand on the guest instructors bit. How would that work at that level? Are high school students mature enough to be able to handle that kind of scenario? Or do they do better when they have continuity? Have you seen it work?
Why do you think that an extension of an established school would do better than a new school? Would an extension school, that take a school outside of the structure of a secondary school, and make it into something else?
2. This has been on the table for a long time. One big issue is the finances necessary to outfit the workshops. One strategy that was proposed was for the workshops to be established/upgraded in schools that are readily assessable to a number of other schools, and so they could work out a time table that allows schools to share the facility. According to some, the traditional high schools are resisting this move as they appear to believe that it would have some negative impact on them. Is it that they believe that they will be seen as a less prestigious space? Our culture sometimes stand in the way of progress.
3. A large percentage (most?) of the schools are ‘owned’ by a church. In those cases, the church is involved at the board level. The chairperson and a specified number of board members are from the church. Common sense would dictate that the church chooses members who would best contribute to the development of the school. In what other ways do you think that the church’s role could be of benefit to the schools? Please give some details.
4. I agree with you that there are advantages to the boarding system, however, boarding schools are expensive and too many would be denied access to secondary education. In fact, are there any exclusively boarding schools? I believe that they all have what they refer to as “day students” – those who do not board on the campus.
5. A lot of research has been done. It is known what other territories are doing. The issue is that it does take cash to care – lots of it – and there is not enough to go around. I do believe though, that maybe the issue is how to make best use of the little cash that there is. But then again, not being a part of the decision making process, I may not be aware of all the issues that the Ministry of Education has to deal with.
6. The GSAT is being restructured. It will no longer be just a one off exam. The assessment will include work done over a period of time. What I would like to see happen is that the exam not be used as a placement exam, but more as a diagnostic tool so that students abilities and needs can be determined and catered for by the secondary or other appropriate system. It makes no sense to me that students leave the primary school system with special needs that the secondary system cannot address. These children then pass through the system and a end up no better off than when they entered.
7. This issue of building, merging, and closing have been addressed. There are schools that we would recommend for closing down, but if it does, there are students who would be denied access since they would have to travel to other schools. Many of these schools are in the rural areas, and although they may be geographically near, students would have to take 3 or 4 different transportation to reach to school. The cost of travelling is outside the reach of many.
8. I agree that entities must work together to improve the schools. The schools who do well have strong alumni and parent support. Many past students have skills that could contribute to the cause, but there are too many who may not have the will/the know how to make a difference.