Almost weekly we are informed of one programme or another being introduced from the Ministry of Education.
After the officer has enjoyed his or her moment in the sun be it on television or in the newspaper, we hear very little more about these initiatives and how they are impacting the education thrust.
As a practitioner, they seem more to be a pelau of other persons’ leftovers than the well presented gourmet meal that should emanate from a structured strategic plan. One is often left with the feeling that they are more about accessing funds from one agency or the other and less about being informed by the expressed needs of the schools.
Each school, in an attempt to satisfy its mandate, must be guided by four overriding principles that should define their work. The major focus must be on the significant reason for the existence of schools – high student academic achievement. This must be attained by clearly aligning the four pillars (curriculum, instruction, assessment and classroom management) with the needs of the students and the nation.
The curriculum must be both targeted and broadbased at the same time to satisfy national needs as well as student interests within the confines of the available resources. This can be achieved through structuring a curriculum with subject components that respect the established required core, cognitive support for students, creative expressive strengthening, and opportunities for personal development as well as for special skill development.
The provision of instruction must be diverse. The notion of talk and chalk is inappropriate for contemporary education. Direct instruction, however, cannot be ignored, but it must be complemented with components such as cooperative group learning, project based teaching, student developed questions to generate discussion, structured and purposeful timeline development, debates and focused research.
Assessment must be in congruence with instruction and, by definition, be equally diverse. There must be opportunities for assessment to be done in writing, in speaking, via collaborative working groups, through research and practical demonstration. These can be done in school, at home or in identified appropriate locations (library or interview locations). It is at this point that the school has to project how it will gauge success or failure of its instructional practices.
It’s a truism in education that if one teaches the most beautiful lesson and the classroom is in turmoil it’s the same as teaching to an empty classroom. All things being equal, classroom management is the most important variable in successful teaching. The defining principles must be based on structure (how things are to be done), engagement, empathy and empowerment (involving students in the development of classroom rules and regulations).
With the stepping stones for student success in place, the other three guiding principles should be organised to ensure a positive and supportive school climate and environment. These include coordinating a fair and equitable school-wide approach to high student discipline and compound comfort and safety, inclusive of civility, confidence building and responsibility for societal development.
The other two, technology and future focused student development, can be addressed along interlocking lines. These must include a focus on mastery of technological tools knowledge generation and problem-solving in support of critical and creative thinking. Through this we can focus on the ultimate goal of any strategic plan, the equipping of skills and abilities to positively impact the society of the future. Of course, an active regime of teacher training must be part of any positive strategic plan.
Jeff Broomes is an experienced educator, principal and community organiser who also served as a vice president of the BCA and director of the WICB. Email: unclejeff2@hotmail.com