Dear Editor,
 
To educate means to train the mind. To enlighten means to give greater knowledge to. Teachers are charged with this grave responsibility of educating and enlightening our students.
High school graduates are leaving Bahamian high schools without any knowledge of who is the government leader in the House of Assembly, the chairman of the Gaming Board, the commander of the Defence Force or even who was Sir Randol Fawkes.  Some of them can't even name the capital cities of our major islands.
Additionally, graduates are leaving high school without the ability to perform basic math computation and some of them can't write a coherent paragraph.  When students reply on a test that the four seasons are salt, black pepper, season salt and curry powder, we know that this is a serious indictment on our current educational system.  The four seasons by the way are summer, fall, winter and spring.
The blame for the mis-education of our children cannot be placed on the teachers and the government alone.  Parents and guardians have to assume the lion's share of this responsibility as well.
Parents have to attend PTA meetings; they have to check their children's homework; check their test scores; and monitor their children's study habits.
Some may say that some parents don't know themselves, how to assist their children.  This may be true, but this does not excuse the parent.  Enrolling children in study groups and after-school classes are examples of how parents can assist.  All it takes is some time and effort.  I am amazed at the amount of time that parents spend preparing their children for the prom.  If only this effort could be transferred to helping with homework and attending PTA meetings.
Education has the power to transform The Bahamas and it can solve a lot of societal ills.  I have listed a few easy to implement changes that the Ministry of Education can use to assist our children with learning and ensuring that we know our identity.
(1). Modernize the educational curriculum.  There should be an ongoing current local events course for each student every semester, from grades one to 12. ZNS, NB12, the Tribune and The Nassau Guardian can all be accessed via the Internet. Civics and Bahamian history should also be given the same protocol. This will help to Bahamianize students and give them a sense of pride because they would have been identifying with their Bahamian culture since Grade one.
(2). Students should be given mental tests yearly or as needed. Early detection of domestic problems or learning difficulties will assist in the proper care and placement of students in programs that can cater to their needs.
(3). Teachers need to be held to a higher standard. A system should be developed to evaluate the annual effectiveness of teachers. There should be balance on both sides. Students can't be allowed to go on to the next grade level if they haven't proven their proficiency. And teachers shouldn't be allowed to teach without corrective action if their techniques are proven to be ineffective.
(4). All students and teachers need to be using a laptop with an internet connection. We are in the technological age and there is no way around this.  We can't expect to use the same teaching methods from 15 years ago today and expect improved results.  Our teaching methods must adapt to the technology that our children are exposed to.
(5). Our students need to feel that they are safe in our schools.
I watched the show "Citizens Review" several months ago and host Erin Ferguson gave examples of some math questions that recent graduates continue to have trouble with when applying for a particular job.  The questions I heard were at primary school level and recent high school graduates could not answer a lot of the simple test questions.  Surely this level of ineptitude did not go undetected amongst our teachers and parents.
This is a crime in my view and the body of people charged with allowing these students to move on to the next grade level spells further problems for our society and I cry shame on them.
There are many students who are thriving in education and sports.  Many of these students are involved in positive activities and they give us hope for a better country in the future.  Erecting pictures on utility poles and roundabouts of outstanding youth should be a year-round activity.  The efforts and accomplishments of some of our students are commendable but because the national average is a D, this is given less credence by the media and society.
Minister of Education Desmond Bannister is making some inroads.  His ministry has exposed criminal acts by some teachers and he seems committed to stopping violence in schools.  Additionally, police liaison officers have been put back in the schools.  This is a good initiative which should provide students with a safer environment that is more conducive to learning.
The minister is faced with the gargantuan task of removing old systems and the 'old guard' and convincing many persons entrenched in the educational system that change is for the better.  You are the head, sir, and it is up to you to stand in the gap and make the tough decisions, irrespective of who will get upset.
The Ministry of Education, teachers and parents must now execute more effectively their existing relationship in order to deal with this vast problem in our midst.  All share a collective responsibility. The miseducation of our children cannot be allowed to continue.
 
-- Dehavilland Moss

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