Consultations on controversial 'additional school year' begin today
The first of two consultation meetings announced will be held at the Catholic Community Centre in Virgin Gorda from 6:00pm.
According to the Department of Information, officials from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports, Fisheries and Agriculture will be hosting the public consultations to discuss the “Additional Year”. Parents, guardians and interested persons are invited to attend these meetings.
‘Guinea pigs’
The introduction of Grade 12 by the then National Democratic Party (NDP) administration was seen as a rather controversial one and had received much criticism from various stakeholders, including parents and teachers.
Mr Walwyn, who was largely criticised for playing politics with the education system, was lambasted for making what persons considered an unnecessary change and that it was done hastily, including that there were not enough teachers for the extra year and lack of facility to house the students, who had to temporarily occupy a space at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) before the September 2017 hurricanes.
Former Principal of ESHS Mrs Sandy M. Underhill had even admitted that students felt they were being targeted as guinea pigs. “It has been a long six years and what a year it was. A year of immense change that made you feel like you were being targeted as guinea pigs to be taken to the slaughter….Mrs Underhill had stated on June 22, 2017, during the graduation ceremony for the first batch of Grade 12 students.
And current Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) had told reporters on April 18, 2019 that he already had discussions on the subject with the key players in the Education Ministry. “And you can expect that a decision can be made on that very soon, I will have an announcement on that soon, as it pertains to the additional school year.”
Meanwhile, the next consultative meeting will be held at the Althea Scatliffe Primary School Courtyard on Thursday June 20, 2019 from 6:00pm.
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14 Responses to “Consultations on controversial 'additional school year' begin today”
The additional school year was put in place without us being ready for it and without even facilities to host the children. This, if we remember well, forced us to bus the children daily to and from the college for one whole year at the expense of the tax payers. Teachers were not properly trained, they lacked resources and most of all, they had no input in what was happening.
The programme was also not properly thought out and so u have children being forced to spend an extra year doing over subjects that they already pass with ones and twos in CXC.
CAPE also was an afterthought and so a few brilliant students are given a chance to write one or two units each year. Unfortunately, the powers that be lied to the children and their parents. They were told that the children would be able to finish up their CAPE subjects at the college. That never happened and so u have the children basically completing half of a subject. In the rest of the Caribbean, children graduate in 5th form and then have the option to go unto 6th form where they spend two years doing 6-8 CAPE units (3 or 4 advanced subjects) that qualify them for university not a Community College.
Unfortunately also, the children are forced to attend school even during CXC because they have to gain credits to graduate. (Note: Accreditation has died a natural death).
Note also: This happens nowhere else in the Caribbean. Once CXC starts, children can focus fully on passing their exams. Talk to children and their teachers and u will hear the pressure they are under.
We are Caribbean, this ridiculous credit system does not make sense here especially when u have CXC. The whole system is a farce and some of the same ones who were tasked with making it happen know it very well but they dared not object.
Thanks to Dr. Wheatley for opening up this controversial issue so that we can stop pretending and do what's best for the children and not what's best for politicians.
what?.. I also don’t agree with targeting it on at the primary school level.. though I am not in favor of it I would still say if that extra year was in fact teaching them the skills to be more productive as they leave high school eg: mentoring courses, teaching them how to write Resumes’ or workforce classes then yes I’d be open to that but Not another year of class 5.. waste of time!!. And please Minister if your ultimate decision is yes after hearing the voices of the people, please sort out CAPE as it relates to the number of CXCs one need to be enrolled to be placed in CAPE classes and also this Dual- Enrollment business!!.. I lived through all of this additional year nightmare with my child as other parents have..if a well thought out 6th grade plan to better equip them going forward was created with the public’s input i’m open to it but if not PLEASE GET RID of that extra year.. IF IT’S NOT
BROKEN WHY FIX IT!
Developed countries ( ie, US, Singapore..etc) have the extra year of school. Is it adding value in these countries? Yes. Singapore is always at the top or near the top in educational achievement. In any evident, the extra year should not be slaughtered on the altar of just tribal politics.
While some students would have had the abilities to write that examination, others would have had to wait an entire school year without doing anything substantial. Furthermore the parents had to finance their students for that year and wait for graduation. The country is in need of professionals and the sooner the students who are equip try to enter collages and universities and perform wel and returnl, it would be better for them to fill the vacancies in the work force.