Excellent leadership by THA's Hackett

THE EDITOR: I congratulate Zorisha Hackett, THA Secretary of Education, Research and Technology, for her excellent leadership in bringing the ranking of SEA students to an end in Tobago.

Her decision is logical, reasonable and a fair assessment of all stakeholders involved in the SEA process. I agree with her: there is no correlation between the SEA top students and the school they attend.

Some parents invest in extra lessons to prepare their children for the exam. However, that does not reflect the input of the school on the students or their year group.

Hackett’s focus on overall school performance will reflect the schools’ delivery of the SEA curriculum to that year group and what is being taught in the classroom during school hours.

Not all the children will have access to extra lessons, and not all children will learn the same way, will grow the same way, will get the same grades. That’s where the school’s overall performance will kick in to cover all these factors.

If we look at the distribution of those grades, then we can close the gaps school by school. It will celebrate the schools’ victory in the SEA.

Well done, Secretary Hackett. I wish we had a vision like that in Trinidad. Keep up the amazing work in Tobago.

KENDELL KARAN

Chaguanas