Teachers not trained to tutor non-readers - principals' body
published:
Monday | April 21, 2008
Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter
Nadine Molloy, president of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools, has suggested a raft of measures to improve student performance in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
The Gleaner's Education 2020 editorial project, which ranks high schools according to their performance in CSEC mathematics and English language examinations in 2006-07, has indicated that several high schools performed poorly.
Some schools recorded no passes for either of the two subjects.
"I stand by my position that at the secondary level, generally, teachers are not trained to teach non-readers," Molloy said.
She is recommending strong lobbying to force the authorities to address the concern.
"I invite those who opine on what the teachers are doing wrong to visit with my colleague principals and teachers of our 'failing' schools before they next speak," she said.
Molloy, who is also the principal of the Buff Bay High School in Portland, said teachers will continue to face criticism despite the harsh conditions under which they are forced to work.
However, she said, they remain committed.
"We will try to teach students who do not want to learn and who we are not trained and equipped to teach. We will continue to make blood out of stone," she said.
Molloy's remedies
Train teachers in special and remedial education at all levels.
Adequate classroom spaces.
Reduce teacher-pupil ratio.
Provide adequate resources.
Provide a safe and secure working environment for staff and students.
Separate guidance and career counselling from behaviour-change management.
Provide alternative facilities for students with extreme behavioural challenges.
Enact and enforce legislation to ensure that parents and guardians take responsibility for their children/wards' education.
Initiate a national movement
stakeholder partnerships in education.
Initiate a national movement to promote the value of education in nation building and development.
Remunerate teachers at the level at which they are expected to perform.
Give incentives to teachers to work in challenging circumstances with the training and mandate to improve those schools.
