Make education a priority
Published:Friday | January 26, 2024 | 12:05 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
Jamaica’s education system is at a crossroads. However, there is the official narrative that fails to acknowledge that a band-aid approach will not solve the issues that we face as a society. The truth is, many students have switched off their dial regarding education. We must also concede that boys in particular realise that there are more lucrative pathways than the long and sometimes arduous pathway of academic rigours.
As a result, male underachievement across all levels of the education system has become a global concern. The society is also hypocritical in that we continue to send conflicting messages concerning academic success. The adage ‘children live what they learn’ is a truism. Additionally, those who are tasked with policymaking should by now realise that despite pockets of excellence, the majority of students continue to fall through cracks that are structural, and which urgently needs to be addressed.
Perhaps the recent assessment of the island’s 15-year-olds will jolt the collective action of all stakeholders. The 2022 international assessment conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, through the programme for international student assessment, concluded that Jamaican students are not performing on par with other 15-year-olds in other nations in the subject areas of reading, mathematics and science. A total of 3,873 Jamaican students from 147 schools completed the assessment in mathematics, reading and science. The results further showed that only 26 per cent of Jamaican students attained at least level-two proficiency in mathematics; this is significantly less than the average of 69 per cent across participating countries. Clearly, this must be a wake-up call to action in order to rescue our students. Interestingly, the results of the assessment were published on the International Day of Education that is observed annually on January 24.
The United Nations tells us that education is like a powerful tool that can help us deal with big issues such as climate change, inequality, discrimination, and conflicts. The theme emphasises how education lays the foundation for more peaceful, fair, and sustainable societies. UNESCO dedicated the International Day of Education to the crucial role education and teachers play in countering hate speech, a phenomenon which has snowballed in recent years with the use of social media, damaging the fabric of our societies.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was already off-track to achieve its education targets. An estimated 224 million young people are still out of school, and an estimated 300 million students will still not have the basic numeracy and literacy skills they need to succeed in life. Undoubtedly, education offers children a path to a more promising future. As a result, there must be a global effort in calling for a more inclusive and equitable quality education so that no student is left behind.
Education systems globally must be realigned in order to achieve lasting peace for all. Consequently, education financing must become a priority for national investment.
WAYNE CAMPBELL