Making education relevant

DEBBIE JACOB

IT’S HARD not to have an opinion about education in Trinidad and Tobago. We often blame our schools for irrelevant education; school violence horrifies us. Many of the issues about education that divide us are the subject of a new book entitled Education, Race, Class and Politics in Post-Colonial Trinidad and Tobago. Here, Professor Emeritus Ramesh Deosaran presents important historical background for educational issues along with his own data-driven, academic research.

The collection of essays, which originally appeared as columns in Newsday, provides a comprehensive background on the legacy of our colonial education system and the inequity in education. It examines social issues like bullying and indiscipline; the debate on corporal punishment, and the debate over teaching morals and values as a school subject. Most importantly, this book measures the progression of parents’ rage and students’ apathy.

Mistrust is the underlying theme for many essays, which mostly span the decade from 2010 to 2020. Deosaran points out parents’ lack of confidence in government schools and examines the perception that denominational schools or “prestige” schools create a socio-economic division in education.

Then there is the question of exactly what students learn in our schools. We expect schools to address values like empathy, fairness and equality, but we often see prejudice, favouritism and bullying.

The essay Student Fears and Bullying reminds readers that bullying begins in primary schools and shows how an incident with one student can derail the reputation of an entire school.

Four essays on bullying present what Deosaran calls “the silent terror…kicking, tapping, running down, even a stick-blow or stab…are not unusual in our schools.”

But Deosaran says that bullying is not always physical violence. “Bullying is seen more as psychological torture with teasing and other rituals of humiliation.”

Each essay loops back to the first which reminds readers of Trinidad and Tobago’s eroding values and the lack of confidence parents have in public schools and society as a whole.

In one of Deosaran’s studies, 55 per cent of the 2,800 people sampled believed that contacts were more important than ability for getting a government job.

Some of Deosaran’s essays provide simple explanations of government reports on education that would be far too academic and lengthy for non-academics to wade through.

Four essays examine discipline and debunk some myths about parents. A study in 2006 listed 22 acts of delinquency and how they were dealt with at home and in school. The study found “more acts of delinquency were committed at home than in school” and parents, rather than teachers, responded with more severe punishments.

Together, these essays show that the anger and violence we see in our schools reflect our society. Schools have failed miserably in developing communication skills and the values necessary to deal with the growing rage in our society.

These essays raise many important questions. Why do some teachers report that they have to deal with students causing trouble multiple times a day while a few teachers report they never have problems? What can we learn from those teachers who demonstrate classroom management skills? Why have some teachers become apathetic while others continuously rise to the challenge?

One deeply disturbing question surfaces: why do many parents and teachers find it difficult to find any mutual ground to support children’s academic, social and psychological needs?

In the end, it is clear that motivating children is becoming increasingly difficult in our schools.

Again, Deosaran says, this is a reflection of society.

The “glaring lack of motivation among sections of our youth is encouraged in many ways...through well-intentioned adults who entice young people to believe that they deserve to get things easy, with little or no effort.”

As violence and crime increase in this country, it becomes even more necessary to examine the purpose of our schools. How do we overcome our colonial history and create meaningful educational opportunities that challenge children? How do we make education about more than grades and national exams? Do our schools perpetuate the division in society between the rich and the poor?

The essays in Race, Class and Politics in Post-Colonial Trinidad and Tobago (available in local bookstores) highlight important issues in education. When they first appeared as columns, they captured many current events in education. Using anecdotes, stories in the news, research and data, Deosaran’s columns served as important journalism.

Now, as a collection, they provide a necessary historical perspective that can shape or support our personal opinions and government policies so that we can create a more relevant education in this country.