Part one: The central problem
There has been a growing debate globally, regionally and locally as to the ways and means of achieving a higher quality of education at all levels while at the same time ensuring universal access for all students so as to ensure the maximum development of our human resource.
Much too often, however; in The Caribbean, this important debate has tended to revolve around Universal Secondary Education only. Unfortunately, because of the sometimes very narrow and politically tribal nature of the discussions on this important topic, some stake holders in education have tended to forget that education is not only a life long process; but that the social, cultural, spiritual and economic needs of the whole human being, as body, mind and soul have to be the focus of education at all times and at every step of the process.
Further, there is a critical need, in Dominica, The OECS and The Wider Caribbean and The Region of The Americas, to have an open and candid debate on all issues in education so as to establish local community ownership not only of the education system itself but also to clearly define and clarify for the benefit of all stake holders the very concept ,nature and scope of education as a foundation institution of our society along with the family. It must be very clearly understood by all our people that next to the family, the basic unit of society, education is the only institution which holds the maximum potential for transforming every aspect of our society for the better.
It is my humble view that The Faculties of Education of the various State Colleges, The Ministries of Education, The Universities, all our Churches, National and Regional Media Houses, along with The Various National and Regional Private Sector Organizations, The Trade Unions,The Diaspora Community, The NGO Community, Parents, Teachers, and other stake holders should facilitate such a forum.
The major objective of such a symposium would be to set out a broadly based strategy for shaping the agenda and process of education and human resource development policy as a fundamental tool for advancing national socio-economic, cultural, spiritual and political development into the twenty-first century and beyond in our region. We, as a people, need to begin seeing the whole person, from the cradle to the grave, as the proper focus of education and human resources development.
The essential goal of any good education system has to be twofold. Firstly, education has to teach people how to live; secondly , education has to teach people how to earn a living and so fulfill one’s life long role within a democratic state and the wider global village. All societies and civilizations which have made great strides in using education and human resource development effectively to advance the quality of life of their people; nations such as Cuba, Germany, China, Singapore, Canada, Sweden and India have established policies to facilitate the educational development of their people from birth to life beyond the grave. In our region, we are yet to clarify in our public policy processes that the most important foundation of all education is the home and then the pre-school. That is where education begins and must be put right…..in the very foundation!!!
According to the most authoritative and proven research in Educational Psychology , the peak age of learning is not the age of secondary school but the age of two to four years up to the age of six. This is where our resources and policies need to focus. If we are able to fully integrate early childhood learning at home and our pre-schools into our national school system within the next four years; If we are able to fully train our pre-school teachers and have them on full pay as any other teacher within the next four years; If we are able to have proper pre-schools established in all our communities; If we are able to intervene early with proper parenting skills training for our new parents ,most , if not all of the problems of poor literacy, academic underachievement, and delinquency which we experience in our primary and secondary schools can be nipped in the bud at the preschool level.
All the established scientific evidence demonstrates that once children are taught a love of learning very early in life, in the home and at pre-school, most of our problems with Reading, Math, Social Studies and Science at the primary and secondary school levels can be solved before they take root. We need to learn from the nations mentioned above which have done it successfully.
I think what the article is advocating for is evidence based education policies. Indeed it is has been proven that early childhood education is the pillar upon which the society can be influenced in a significant and sustainable way. I am not sure why the points in the article is offending anyone. If you disagree with the recommendations of the article then simply state that you disagree with point of view. However to dismiss its relevance and even question whether the writer is an expert on the issue or not is childish.
interesting article Mr. Gordon, since English speaking Caribbean society seems to be defining education as academia only, have people forgotten we are social beings!
Education is about choice, not engineering people on what we deem they should do or should not do for the ideal society which we perceive.
Centuries ago Cicero observed that the authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn.
Marlon Brando boasted that he was expelled from every school that he ever attended. And Jack Par dropped out of highschool because they weren’t teaching him anything that he wanted to know. Walter Cronkite found that most classrooms work was boring for which he blamed uninspired teachers and Cronkite particularly disliked how history was taught and believed that reducing this great drama to the road of names dates and places out to be treated as a crime.
Social engineering is wrong we must teach our children how to think!
Have a nice day.
You appear to have made a somewhat skewed assessment of this statement. It appears that Mr. Gordon was more focused on the home being an instrument or medium in the education process- from the time that the child is within the womb and prior to his/her attendance in pre-school/kindergarten. This is indeed education and it’s a beautiful thing when a parent/guardian has accomplished that phase and not restricted the individual’s tender brain to the specifics of pre-school etc. By the time they get into pre-school, they should be hungry for more and ready to leap into primary/elementary school. Any learning process is an education – it is not solely limited to academics.
“There has been a growing debate globally, regionally and locally…..” I find this statement along with the rest of the commentary in general to be oxymoronic. Since the author is no “expert” on the subject matter he needs to reference his sources. For example “According to the most authoritative and proven research in Educational Psychology , the peak age of learning is not the age of secondary school but the age of two to four years up to the age of six.” Who are those people and how did they come about their so called facts??.
Another point to the author is that education can also be viewed as entertainment, a technology, mental slavery,etc.. or even as a form of enlightenment. Thus, before he present his views as an “expert” on all things embedded within Dominica society he needs to expand his horizon by re educating himself with the necessary tools like maybe going back to school, having a dialogue with the elders or by reading more especially on subject matter that deals with the neoliberal and neoconservative agenda and logic which view education as a commodity.
?????? So you are making a case for Universal Early Childhood Education?
I think both the ministry of education and the PM beat you to that one!
This commentary has enlighten me, very strong points Mr Gordon. I do hope that the policy makers will read this and take this into practice. The home I believe must play a fundamental role in the nurturing and development of a child.The root of our problems in society is from the home.After all,We are not just born as adults, we have to grow up from babies into adults and this is where we need the guidance, discipline, respect for self and other and love during our development. Our human resource is very important in the development of our country. Therefore,every one should get on board to try to formulate the best policy for our children’s future.