REVEREND RONALD Thwaites, the Member of Parliament for Central Kingston, has tabled a private members bill in the House of Representatives seeking to get Parliament to amend the Education Act.

Reverend Thwaites wants the act and all related regulations and codes to ensure that mastery is achieved in each grade before a student is promoted to the next grade, as is the norm in the public school system.

"There is absolutely no justification for promoting a student in school to a higher grade when they have failed to achieve the standards of the previous grade," Reverend Thwaites said.

Basic rudiments should be satisfied

Rev. Thwaites said Parliament should adopt the principle that "we do not advance a person in school unless the basic rudiments of the grade that they are in have been satisfied".

Government member Gregory Mair showed support for Rev. Thwaites' proposal by beating his desk but his colleague Tarn Peralto said the motion was "foolishness".

Rev. Thwaites also wants Parliament to mandate and fund the necessary remedial programmes and supervised assistance to ensure the opportunities to remedy and prevent underperformance of students within the educational system are effective.

Parliament is expected to debate the proposed amendments, which Rev. Thwaites said, would ensure that schools do not continue to be mere assembly lines.