The Editor, Sir:

Why should we find it so strange that there was a low percentage of success in English for the students who wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination? Your lead story of Friday, December 14, also stated that the pass rate in mathematics was also low, but I would like to reflect on English only in this article.

I have been appalled for many years when I visit secondary schools in Jamaica, to hear how few students speak English on campus. Whenever I complain about this, even 'educated' Jamaicans spurn my complaints. I have had the opportunity to talk with hundreds of Jamaican students about their non-use or poor use of English.

Often, I have been rebuked for my stand on the use of standard English, and then admonished about the goal and purpose of the local dialect - patois. I do agree that patois has its place, but look at what it does to students being successful in English!

The use of patois has been applauded by politicians, journalists and Jamaican academics who are already educated and have jobs.

These people already know how to use the English language to their advantage. Recently, at a Jamaica Labour Party meeting in Tivoli Gardens after the September election, The Gleaner quoted three politicians - two of whom spoke patois only, and one who spoke perfect English. I am sure that all three politicians were understood.

Must be spoken

But English must be spoken regularly to be written well. It is my opinion that schools should do as much as possible in teaching English; but as long as the majority of our students refuse to speak it regularly on a daily basis, the success in English in CSEC will continue to be low.

As a retired educator from the Canadian community-college system, I was asked on a regular basis, when I worked full time, to assist Jamaican and West Indian students as a whole, with getting them into English upgrading classes they were brilliant in all the other subjects.

I was quite frightened some time ago, when a brilliant Jamaican student informed me that she was expected to write the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam usually done by students from non-English speaking countries applying to North American universities.

After some correspondence on my part with the university, she did not have to sit the exam. We have some responsibilities to manage this, because when North American universities and colleges start to consider Jamaica, as a non-English speaking country to allow our students to be admitted into their educational system, we are in trouble.

I am, etc.,

Dr. DUDLEY E. MORGAN

deliasmorgan@gmail.com

CALGARY, Canada