Letter of the Day | All students deserve equal opportunities

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing to express my strong disagreement with the practice of some traditional high schools recommending only students they believe will pass for exams. They appear to be more concerned with statistics than actually providing students with opportunities to succeed or fail. While I understand the importance of maintaining academic standards, this approach undermines the true purpose of education and unfairly limits opportunities for many students.

Education should be about providing every child with the tools to learn, grow, and develop their potential, not simply weeding out those who are perceived as less likely to succeed. By restricting access to exams, we deny students the chance to challenge themselves, demonstrate progress, and potentially surpass expectations. It also places undue pressure on those who are selected, as they may feel the weight of being considered a guaranteed success, which could be detrimental to their mental well-being.

Every student should have the right to sit their exams, regardless of where they are on their academic journey. Some students blossom later than others, and it is often through challenges like exams that they can build confidence and gain valuable experience. Schools should focus on supporting all students, providing extra resources where needed, rather than preemptively deciding who is worthy of an opportunity.

Every child deserves a fair shot. Let’s ensure that our educational institutions encourage potential in all students, rather than limiting their futures based on premature judgments, and in the name of maintaining statistics of ‘success’.

DALE DWYER

Kingston