The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) says it is not opposed to education reform, but wants Government and the Ministry of Education Transformation to explain how proposed changes to placement into secondary school will be implemented.
In a statement yesterday by its spokesperson on education Quincy Jones, the party supported the announcement to delay the use of continuous assessment and stick with the current Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE). To do otherwise, it added, would be to ignore the concerns raised by educators and parents, and without the necessary consultation and preparation needed for such a major change.
Last Friday on the ministry’s YouTube channel, Minister Chad Blackman issued a statement announcing students in Classes 3 and 4 would continue to be tested under the BSSEE, while those in Class 2 would have three full years of preparation under a proposed continuous assessment model.
“Education policy must never be driven by political deadlines or the need to announce something new. Our children are not experiments and Barbados’ education system cannot be treated as a laboratory for untested ideas,” Jones stated.
Accountability
“The Democratic Labour Party is not opposed to education reform. We believe reform is necessary, but we are opposed to rushed reform without adequate preparation, consultation, evidence, resources and accountability. Replacing one system with another simply because the existing system is old or a new approach sounds modern is not genuine reform.”
Jones, a teacher, said the BSSEE, also known as the Common Entrance or 11-Plus, had weaknesses and should be reviewed, but “fundamentally changing it without first establishing a credible, fair and transparent alternative would be irresponsible”.
Among the questions to be answered, the DLP said, were:
• How would the assessment system work?
• Would it be standardised across schools?
• Who would moderate?
• Would teachers be trained?
• How would differences be addressed?
• How would children with special needs be accommodated?
• How could parents challenge an assessment they believe was inaccurate?
• What guarantees should Government provide to guarantee that every child had a fair opportunity?
The DLP’s solution to the challenges facing education would be addressed over five years, Jones said in the release, through a process that would include listening to concerns and solutions from all stakeholders, conducting a comprehensive review of the sector and establishing a vision for the next ten to 15 years.
Early screening
“The DLP believes the BSSEE should be reformed, not simply abolished. A stronger secondary school placement system could combine standardised national assessments, continuous classroom assessment, literacy and numeracy benchmarks, student progress over time, teacher assessments and appropriate consideration for special educational needs. Parents and students must also have access to clear and reliable information.”
Buttressing the DLP’s proposal would be the establishment of an Early Literacy And Numeracy Guarantee supported by early screening, individual learning profiles, targeted intervention, after-school academic support and summer learning programmes.
It said there would also be the introduction of a comprehensive Teacher Development And Support Programme providing continuous professional development in assessment, special education, classroom management and digital learning.
“Teachers cannot be expected to deliver transformational change without the training, resources and professional support to do so,” Jones said.
He added the curriculum would be modernised to place more emphasis on STEM, artificial intelligence and digital literacy, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, coding, climate and environmental education, technical and vocational education, agriculture and food security, the creative industries, civics and citizenship, and Caribbean history and culture.
Under the system proposed by the DLP, students would also have increased opportunities to excel in sport, music, art, technology, technical education and entrepreneurship “because every child will not follow the same path, and the education system must recognise and support different forms of talent and achievement”.
Finally, an independent National Education Council would be set up to provide continuity in executing the education policy, the party stated.
(SAT/PR)