The Editor, Sir:

I refer to the article titled 'Slippery Slope - 50 per cent of grade-11 students leave school uncertified' published in The Sunday Gleaner dated October 4. It seems to me that we are quite good in this country at identifying the problems with the system of education, and reducing those problems to sensational sound bites and headlines without much subsequent meaningful discussions and action.

It has been five years now since the Task Force on Education Report was presented to the then prime minister, P.J. Patterson. Despite the numerous recommendations made in that report, five years later we are still floundering in a sea of confusion and inaction.

Five years ago, the task force reported that only approximately 20 per cent of secondary-school graduates had the qualifications for meaningful employment and/or entry to post-secondary programmes. Five years later, the pronouncement is made that "more than half the students who left secondary school last year in Jamaica have no subjects and no skills". Our education minister says, in reference to this problem: "The nation has heard about it for years but they did not know the extent of the problem ..."

Five years ago, a problem was identified, five years later, we are still mired in the same problem. It would seem to me that we are a nation of fools, and we are getting exactly what we deserve.

Vocational training

During those five years, we have worsened the problem of unskilled secondary school graduates by removing the only national school-leaving exam we had, the Secondary School Certificate (SSC), and not having a replacement on hand. SSC, despite its problems, at least provided certification for students in four core subjects plus their vocational option. The new CCSLC exam offered by the regional body, CXC, was bandied about as a replacement for SSC but CCSLC does not have a vocational component.

Many upgraded high schools were thrown into a situation where they had to find a vocational training programme for their students. The school at which I teach, and many others like it, had to take the initiative to incorporate NCTVET into the upper-school programme. My school now offers NCTVET level-one training in at least 10 areas, and we continue to look for ways to improve the training and certification options available to our students.

Meaningful change

If there is to be meaningful change in our education system, then there must be a systematic plan in place. We cannot continue in this reactive mode. American economist Michael Mandel, at an economic Summit on early-childhood investment earlier this year, made the poignant statement: "When you look at a house, you may not see its foundation but that's what holds it up. And if the foundation of a house is cracked, you have to fix it - even if it means skimping on other things."

Are we moving towards meaningfully fixing the cracks in the foundation of our education system?

Five years ago, the task force reported that:

Less than one-third of the children entering grade one were ready for the primary level.

Only 31 per cent of children achieved mastery on all subtests in the Grade 1 Readiness Inventory.

In the Grade 3 Diagnostic Test, only 14 per cent mastered all language arts concepts with only seven per cent mastering all mathematics concepts.

Only 57 per cent of students sitting in the Grade Four Literacy Test achieved mastery.

At the early childhood level, the quality of space in most facilities is substandard.

At the primary level, universal access is at the expense of massive overcrowding in urban areas.

These are but a few of the observations. It is true that after decades of deficiencies, we cannot expect overnight miracles but, having identified the problems, after five years, what meaningful progression have we made to finding solutions and implementing change?

I am, etc.,

WAYNE A. WOOLERY

w.a.woolery@gmail.com

Green Island

Hanover