Blind spots in our education system

By Garth A. Rattray

Education is supposed to prepare us for the real world - for our chosen occupation and for life in general. Sometimes we are taught subjects that only set a base for us to build on. Sometimes we are taught stuff that makes us intellectually rounded. And, of course, we tend to perform best at subjects that we need for our future endeavours or for which we have a penchant.

Schools emphasise the usual subjects - English language, other languages, several kinds of mathematics, the sciences, the arts, information technology and communication, technical subjects and so on. However, there is no required subject covering how we use the road (although misuse causes hundreds of mortalities, thousands of morbidities and millions in lost revenue every year) or how to raise children (although, poorly done, this leads to antisocial behaviour and all manner of socially crippling crimes).

In spite of efforts to stamp out corruption, it is blatantly obvious that an indeterminate but significant number of people are operating all classes of motor vehicles totally ignorant about the rules of the road. A piece in The Gleaner of Monday, April 15, stated, "Senior Superintendent of Police Radcliffe Lewis, Head of the Police Traffic Division, has revealed that more than 20 government workers have been arrested over the past five months in connection with the illegal sale of driver's licences to persons who have skipped the written and driving test."

Nowadays, motorcyclists and pedal cyclists are entering major roadways without pausing, stopping or even looking to see if the way is clear. If they are turning left onto the roadway, they simply fly around the corner and expect that approaching motorists will steer clear of them. They also often ignore traffic lights, risking their lives and the safety of others when they ride through if the way seems clear or if they believe that they can 'beat' the oncoming traffic.

proper use of roads

The transgressions of motor vehicle drivers are far too numerous to list here. However, suffice it to say, we need to educate everyone, including pedestrians, about the proper use of the roads because this is how we all get around. In spite of the absolute madness on our roads, there is no school subject matter on road use. All high-school children should be taught proper road use by way of a compulsory (core/essential) subject - grades and all. Remember, many drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are either not aware of their own stupidity, ignorant of the road code or just plain undisciplined and selfish. So, people are killed or injured daily on our roads.

Crime in our society is a 'disease' that's usually attributable to poor parenting; yet, there is no core subject on how to raise children. We belabour sexually transmitted diseases and contraception, but there is no required subject on good parenting. Parents commonly shout at their children, demean and belittle them, ignore their feelings, strike them in anger and frustration, fail to protect them, fail to properly monitor/supervise them and fail to spend enough time interacting with them and imparting the good values required for life.

High-school children should be taught good parenting by way of a structured course, incrementally presented and spanning about four school years. It should be graded and essential, but not burdensome. As with the use of the road, a passing grade should be required in order for a student to receive a school-leaving certificate.

Bureaucracies find such ideas daunting and ignore or defer them until problems achieve crisis proportions. I hope that the powers-that-be will seriously consider these and similar changes to the education system that would properly equip our children for the day-to-day realities of life and to improve/transform our society from the core outwards.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice, Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com.