By George Henry, Gleaner WriterSPALDINGS, Clarendon:
ALPHANSUS DAVIS, principal of the Spaldings High School in Clarendon and immediate past president of the Association of Principals and Vice-Principals, has charged that resources are being wasted in education.
He made the charge at a Face to Face meeting in Spaldings, Clarendon at which Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies was in attendance.
"The primary level, technologically spends a lot of funds doing what should have been done at the early childhood level; the secondary level spends money doing what should be done at the primary level, while the tertiary level spends a lot of money doing what should have been done at the secondary," said Mr. Davis.
SPENDING MONEY
Citing the area of skills training as an example, Mr. Davis said HEART Trust/NTA has been spending money to do what should have been done at the high school level.
He noted that although there are a number of upgraded high schools offering training in the vocational areas, they lack the resources to do the job effectively.
As a result, the Spaldings High School principal said many students who leave those institutions, do so without acquiring proper training.
He further added that in many cases, persons who attend training courses at HEART are those who should have been on the job market.
Mr. Davis while calling for a re-think of the whole matter of funding allocated for vocational training, inisting that the funds given to HEART should be made available to the secondary level schools, where they can be better prepared for the job market.
The Finance Minister in responding to the comments, said there was not much accountability on the part of management in some schools, as to the level of rewards and penalties in the quality of work of some teachers.
He said there needed to be a system whereby teachers could indicate the level of learning that they have been able to take their students, before they are promoted to a higher level.
"I find it puzzling or close to madness, that you get a child from grade one who has not mastered grade one, but yet that child is still promoted to grade two," said Dr. Davies.
"There is no chance that a child in grade two or three who cannot read, will be able to master the next grade, and when he reaches grade six you give him a slot in a school. So, so you could well not have started.
Dr. Davies added that while schools could do well with more resources, the problem was not a matter of there being a lack, but that each school and each teacher needed to be held accountable.
He stated that students should not just be moved along as if it was a production line, without any clear value-added.
Dr. Davies, who also acknowledged that there could have been better use of resources, also noted that there is a need for rationalisation, but said there was also a need to build rewards for performance.
