Anita Haynes: Ministry failing vulnerable students

TABAQUITE MP and shadow minister for education Anita Haynes believes the Education Ministry has failed vulnerable students.

She was responding to a TT Guardian report on Sunday which showed that a Freedom of Information request revealed 2,800 students dropped out of school between 2020 and 2022.

In a press release on Monday, Haynes questioned if this was "wilful inaction or inability to implement transformative policies" by the ministry.

She believed the dropout rates were foreseeable and could have been mitigated.

“In 2020, the former education minister reported that there were 65,000 students without a learning device...In January 2021, the JSC on social services and

Public Administration revealed that 46,770 students, at both primary and secondary levels, had never logged on to online learning platforms."

Haynes said she asked Garcia what measures were being put in place to "address the high level of student absenteeism on virtual platforms and what additional resources were extended to the Student Support Services Division.

"I also raised the issue of student reintegration when schools reopened physically and called for data-based measures to minimise the negative impacts of learning loss.”

She believes her calls fell on deaf ears, saying she has been urging the ministry to "combat the data deficit and implement data-driven policy interventions to address key challenges in our education sector such as declining student performance, student indiscipline and the need to functionally integrate technology in education delivery.

“Unfortunately, the education minister’s initial response to my queries regarding students falling through the cracks in the virtual system was to undermine the data I referred to, data that was put out by her ministry. Even now, as students and teachers grapple with the various fallouts of learning loss, her position continues to be one of turning a blind eye to issues that are very prominent to citizens across TT, repeatedly dismissing concerns raised, all the while with this data in her possession."

Haynes said if the government was serious about its all-of-government approach, there would be a "clear plan of action to tackle this matter at the root by treating with socio-economic challenges.

"The fact is, children are dropping out of school to help make ends meet at home. The absence of executive polices to frontally treat with this matter is a poor reflection on the government – either they are incapable of doing what needs to be done or they have deliberately abandoned our children who fell through the cracks of

the education system in order to save face.

"Nevertheless, as citizens we must continue to push the government uphold their end of the social contract lest we suffer the consequences.”

In addition, director of genders, diversity and inclusion at the National Transformation Alliance Ronald John said he was not surprised by the news as a psychologist with over 30 years of experience.

But he said it still broke his heart.

"Even sadder was the fact that of that number, 151 were in primary school, which means that they will most likely have to contend with a world without the very basics of education. And whilst the pressures of the pandemic may have exacerbated the problem, another freedom of information request to the Ministry of Education, would surely reveal that this is a long-standing problem."

He said while most will say the current and past administrations "have a lot to answer for," he prefers to "look forward and offer advice and possible solutions to help address this urgent problem."

He suggested universal and continuous testing of children for eyesight, hearing and learning issues upon entering the school system.

"Early testing not only identifies the problem, it also creates the opportunity for early intervention, which is shown to help over 90 per cent of students. This levels the playing field and supports the goal of education for all.

"Continuous testing must be done as it helps to identify the early stages of other educational pitfalls, such as abuse, neglect, malnutrition, etc."

He added that the Education Ministry, Ministry of national Security and Ministry of Social Services should create a unit or improve communication "to identify absent and truant students who require community police intervention and even social services help.

"This is a preventative integrated strategic approach to education, and if as a society we feel cost is a deterrent, please know that it is way cheaper than dealing with the costs of security on a personal, business and national level, and ensuring that citizens get a sound education improves the overall fabric of our nation as more persons avoid a life of crime, and also positively contribute to our economy."