Lascelve Graham| Jamaica versus the successful world

A couple of World Championships ago, the president of the IAAF, Lord Sebastian Coe, praised Jamaican schools highly for turning out world-class runners. This struck me as odd, since that is not the mission of public schools and since the public schools of no other country had been so complimented before, although all countries, including his own, England, have a strong interest in sports. To try and find out why, I decided to look at the public schools in some other countries which are considered successful.

China has made tremendous strides both economically and militarily in a relatively short time. Education has played a major role in their unrelenting drive forward. Education has been paramount. In China, from traditional primary schools to high schools, there is a major lack of athletic programmes, although the Chinese are very serious about sports, which is dealt with in special sports institutions. Traditional public schools are completely focused on the academic, technical and vocational areas, and the competition in those areas is extremely intense.

Singapore is another country which has done remarkably well in a very short time and is often compared to Jamaica. One of the pillars of its success is its strong focus on education/socialisation. It is ranked among the best in the world. It also uses the “merit” system, where to get into the “better” schools is highly competitive. In Singapore, a co-curricular activity (CCA) is a non-academic activity that all students must undertake as part of their education. They are compulsory at the secondary level, where students are required to take part in at least one CCA. CCAs refer to all the activities performed by students to enhance their life skills. Curricular activities comprise academic and scholastic activities.

SIGNIFICANT MOVES

Singapore has made significant moves through the years to drive home the message to principals, teachers, parents and students that CCAs are an integral part of students’ holistic education. They are seen as a key means to inculcate moral values, develop competencies and at the same time foster social integration and deepen students’ sense of belonging and responsibility towards their community and country.

At secondary school points for co-curricular activities are awarded in five areas: leadership, enrichment, achievement, participation and service. There is no recruiting for sports by the mainstream public schools, although they have sports competitions and placing well provides bonus points for the members of the team.

Finland is acknowledged as being a world leader in education now. Years ago its public schools were at the bottom of the barrel in Europe. Co-curricular activities like sports are not offered through public school in Finland. Sports academies, clubs deal with that. The atmosphere in school is much more relaxed and informal than in the countries mentioned above, with children getting minimal homework.

All the countries mentioned above have made significant socioeconomic progress in a relatively short time, without finding any new natural resources. Education/socialisation has played a major role in their leap forward. All have different education/socialisation systems. All hold their education/socialisation system sacrosanct.

STRONG SUPPORTERS

All are strong supporters of sports. However, it is noticeable that up to high-school level, none has corrupted, undermined, compromised its education/socialisation system by using its public schools as sports academies, clubs. Co-curricular ability is not a criterion for admission! Their specialized education/socialisation institutions are true to and fully focused on their mission of dealing with the school cohort which they have been assigned by the publicly declared protocol for admission. They are not distracted, diverted by the overemphasis to win at all costs at sports and hence to recruit for sports purposes. They accept that their job is to make into the best citizen possible, whoever has legitimately qualified to be at that school.

This allows the education/socialisation system to operate more efficiently. The good book is right. You cannot serve two masters. Division of labour makes sense. Hence, successful countries tend to separate the focus of public schools and sports institutions.

Studies in South Korea and elsewhere disclose that although student athletes spend a lot of time on sports, only a handful become successful professional athletes; the competitive life span of a professional athlete is short, because student athletes spend more time developing athletic rather than academic skills, the overwhelming majority struggle to integrate successfully back into society.

By any standard like the Patterson Report, our education/socialisation system needs upgrading. Banning recruiting for sports purposes by our public specialised education/socialisation institutions is a low-hanging fruit, which would be a step into the right direction. Even in the USA, the Mecca, the citadel of recruiting for sports, public schools, up to the high school level, don’t recruit for sports!

Jamaica beat the world at its first Olympics in 1948. In 1952, we again beat the world in the 400 and 4x400, with two athletes Rhoden and Laing from low-profile schools which could NOT even participate at Champs. Most of our athletes who do well at the world level are from low-profile schools. Our public schools don’t need to recruit for us to do well. Schools recruit to win …full stop! Let us put the necessary sports centres, academies in place.

We need to get our priorities right. Education/socialisation is paramount for national development. This is what our public schools need to emphasise not winning at sports!

Dr Lascelve ‘Muggy’ Graham is a former captain of Manning, All-Manning, All-Schools and All-Jamaica football teams. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com