UWI Prof against ‘culture of competitiveness’ in education

A top surgeon and academic has spoken out against what he described as a ‘culture of competitiveness’ in the education system.

Professor Dilip Dan, head of the department of clinical, surgical sciences, at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, said although the country has made tremendous strides in education, there was too much of a preoccupation with extra lessons for students.

“Our students are sent for lessons before school, after school, and on weekends and holidays,” he said on Friday night.

Dan said while the activity was being caused by parental peer pressure, parental insecurity and teacher under-performance, it only produced results in academia and recall.

“We must be careful that we teach our children to be thinkers and to be well rounded, and not just regurgitators.”

Dan was addressing guests at the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha’s annual Indian Arrival Day dinner at the Radisson Hotel, Port of Spain, where he was honoured for his accomplishments in clinical surgery and academia.

He argued that the extra stress on students has led to burnout to the point where many of them no longer enjoy school and have actually dropped out.

“We know for a fact of the serious peer pressure challenges facing our children in prestige schools. Also the competitive pressure is leading to major depression and other psychiatric disorders.”

Dan added: “Our expectations of our kids are excessive and they are not being prepared for disappointment and reality.”

He said they were not being allowed to be children.

“In this rapidly evolving world, we have to prepare our kids differently to face the new challenges that come before them.”