More GSAT scholarship awardees this year
This is a beautiful manifestation of the hard work and solid effort from the Principals and Teachers, Parents and Students in the primary school system today!!! Congratulations to ALL 🙂
More GSAT scholarship awardees this year – Lead Stories – Jamaica Gleaner – Friday | July 13, 2012.
Learn MoreThe list of scholarship winners published by the Ministry of Education in yesterday’s daily newspapers revealed that seven of the 25 government scholars are from primary schools, compared to only one out of 24 last year. In total 50 of the 96 students who received scholarships are from public institutions which represents an increase compared with 21 of 65 students last year.According to Education Minister Ronald Thwaites, the result reflects a diversion from what has been the norm where a specific group of schools dominated the list. He said the mixture among the schools was welcomed by the Ministry of Education. “Quality education is to be found across the system and this is an indication of it,” Thwaites said. He said there has been an improvement at some schools as a result of their effort to improve the standards of the students. “There has been better preparation, all credit to the teachers and to the parents. What we need to do in our education system is to stress equity and quality,” he added.
Parental Support Critical to School Development
In a letter published in the Gleaner today, the critical role of parents is highlighted as one of the three MAIN factors in school development.
A school becomes competitive when it has an effective principal, disciplined students and good parental support. Check many of these non-traditional high schools and see if they have those three driving factors.
We wholeheartedly agree that parents cannot “sit back and rest once” their child begins secondary school studies. We support all efforts to equip and support parents in their continuing essential role in child development and school development.
Learn MoreAlso, too many parents are laid back. They don’t care about what goes on at their children’s school. It is time they demand that the school improves in the areas that keep the school rooted at the bottom of the academic rankings. After all, they are the main stakeholders in the school and need to use up their power.
Education officers in Jamaica: what do we know about them?
In an article published in the Gleaner today Education Minister of Jamaica has made an appeal and cast a challenge to the Education officers of Jamaica.
“It is unacceptable. Let us make it quite clear. It can’t go on like this. The role of the education officers has to change. They have to be held more accountable and this is why we are putting the emphasis on early-childhood education so that diagnosis can be done early,” said Thwaites.
Acting Permanent Secretary Grace McLean said while psychosocial analyses are detecting a number of problems with some of the children, the education officers will be given mandates to ensure improved performance.
Education officers in the cross hairs – Lead Stories – Jamaica Gleaner – Sunday | July 1, 2012.
What IS the current role of an education officer? What tools are available to help them serve the school children of Jamaica? Who do they report to and how? This calls for research on our part. We welcome your insight and comments.
Learn MoreLETTER OF THE DAY – Find GSAT replacement – Letters – Jamaica Gleaner – Thursday | April 26, 2012
LETTER OF THE DAY – Find GSAT replacement – Letters – Jamaica Gleaner – Thursday | April 26, 2012.
The elitist nature of the GSAT exam is reinforced by the Ministry of Education in two ways. The top performers of the exams are sent to a limited number of high-performing high schools, and candidates with the lowest scores are also sent to a number of low-performing high schools.
Therefore, from day one the selection process is flawed and plays into the socio-economic divide that is so pervasive… Education should be a catalyst to bridge the gap in society, not widen it.
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With regard to the GSAT not being a true measurement of a student’s ability, take the example of the subject, communication task. This exam is divided into two parts: an essay section marked out of 6, and the other, a short answer section which requires students to fill out information using a given prompt, also marked out of 6.
Determining average student
In quite a number of instances, a student can score six out of 12 in communication task, and that candidate could be seen as being an average student by virtue of scoring 50 per cent. However, that same candidate can omit to do the essay section or may have scored zero in that section.
This scenario happens more often than not and can be interpreted by a given school that the student entering their institution is an average student in that subject.
Of course, this would be far from the truth, as many of those ‘average’ students could be, and should be, classified as functional illiterates.
This article speaks of diversity, and testing techniques.
What do you think should be the hallmarks of a new system for student placement in our secondary schools?
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