The drop in the Ordinary Level pass rate from 19,5% to 18,4% should be blamed squarely on the government that is giving free rein to every Tom and Dick in the education sector.
NewsDay Editorial
Judging by the chaos in the sector, it is a miracle that the drop was a mere 1,1%.
The government, of late, has exhibited a lackadaisical approach to matters concerning education, creating a free-for-all environment that has seen teachers, parents (through SDAs), students and unscrupulous businesspeople to do as they please.
That Government is not reining in the scandalous ways people are exploiting the education system for personal gain boggles the mind.
SDAs are teaming up with school heads to pilfer resources from schools and it was only recently that the government threatened them with arrest if they continued looting money meant for teachers’ incentives.
It is now public knowledge that teachers have formed their own “schools” in the name of extra lessons for those who can afford. The result is obvious — teachers no longer care a hoot about kids in formal classrooms partly because of poor remuneration and also as a strategy to lure them to their “schools”.
But the greatest criminal act lowering the standards of education is the proliferation of unregistered colleges and schools. Most of these colleges and schools do not meet the standards set by the Education ministry. They have all the ingredients for disaster: unqualified staff, poor infrastructure and lack of basic materials such as furniture and textbooks.
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The owners’ aim is simply to make money regardless of the consequences on the innocent students. In May last year the Education ministry made lots of noise about closing unregistered colleges and schools, but it seems as if it was just noise signifying nothing. These illegal institutions are increasing by the day.
Section 15 of the Education Act under the headline “Registration of non-Government schools” clearly states that no one is allowed to establish and maintain an unregistered school.
The Act also clearly states that the premises should satisfy the secretary for Education that they are suitable for their purpose with regard to number and sex, among other things.
These basic requirements are disregarded as the owners of the illegal colleges go for the dollar.
The Government, by taking no action, is equally culpable. If this free-for-all atmosphere continues to prevail in the education sector, then we can kiss quality education goodbye. And the pass rate will surely drop, not by a mere 1% as was the case this year.
The government must wake up and keep an eye on the education system in order to root out elements that are threatening quality.
