According to data released on Tuesday from the Ministry of Education, students sitting for the 2012 BGCSE exams received an average letter grade of D in English Language and an E+ in mathematics; moreover this is considered an improvement.
How can we be proud that the average score in two pivotal subjects is mere points away from failure?
It is absurd to know that the next generation to come into the work force will have basic skills that are below average. Though not everyone is in favor of standardized testing, tests such as the BGCSE and BJC establish a platform of comparison not subject to grade inflation. Here, education administrators can grasp the academic performance of students in specific subjects across The Bahamas, regardless of the school.
But is the system designed to facilitate failure? With nearly 50 percent of students not qualifying for a diploma they settle for a leaving certificate. Do our students view a leaving certificate as a way out, lessening the need for a diploma? Is our society accepting of leaving certificates? It certainly seems so.
A national graduation diploma is desperately needed. Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald is right to demand a level of minimum criteria to obtain a diploma. Our government and society cannot accept the current laissez faire attitude towards education. Establishing minimum criteria for graduation also helps those students gain employment when a business knows what skill levels it can expect from graduates.
Just as a business needs strategic and succession planning, The Bahamas must prepare a national development plan and invest in our future leaders. With no idea of where we are heading, how can we educate our students for a future Bahamas? At least one government department, the Ministry of Education, has put forth a worthwhile plan with perceived deadlines that will positively impact the lives of Bahamians.
It is no wonder that many well-educated Bahamians choose to remain abroad. But such loss of talent deprives The Bahamas of our future leaders and innovators. Instead our island nation struggles with a work force that lacks basic reading, writing and math skills. Should we be surprised then that businesses seek foreigners and work permits?
We place such emphasis on employing Bahamians, yet as the data reveals, many Bahamians are unemployable for white-collar jobs. Service standards are dismal, yet we are forced to pay gratuity. Do unions survive because they fear the educated overachiever who is determined to succeed?
It is crucial to have role models, figures who define excellence and aptitude, examples for our young Bahamians to look up to. Athletes often take on this role but more often than not teachers have the authoritative position to instill a passion for lifelong learning and achievement.
Teachers are professionals with the immense responsibility for educating our sons and daughters. As such they should be treated like professionals with standards, continuing education, evaluations, monetary rewards and dismissal when needed. If our teachers cannot perform how can we expect a student to perform? Is every Bahamian teaching graduate from COB going to be a good teacher? Not likely.
It is refreshing to hear the minister of education's vision for more vocational-oriented learning. We need more applied education where training leads to jobs. Such ambitions for our education department are encouraging but only time will tell.
Meanwhile, businesses will continue to struggle with hiring competent individuals. We will continue to receive government letters or documents with grammatical and spelling errors. And yet we have hope that one day, in the near future, Bahamians will not settle for the laissez faire attitude of island life but will be invigorated by the quest for higher achievement.

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