Too many students are falling though the cracks and while millions are spent on education there are less educated people in the country.
So said Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley after distributing letters of appointment to members of the Committee to Review the Early Childhood Education and Primary School Curriculum and the Committee to Develop a Refereed Foundation Textbook on the History of T&T.
“We in T&T, we have seen and we are living a situation where we are spending a lot of money on education but if we are honest with ourselves a lot of our children are simply passing through school.
“If we get the right approach, direct the right quantum of resources to the base of that education pyramid then it becomes easier as you go up the pyramid to get the benefits of that initial investment,” Rowley said.
The Prime Minister also urged parents to play their part by not only ensuring their children received a sound education but also proper morals and values.
“Our young people have inculcated some very dangerous values. Values that you could get something for nothing, values that somebody owe you something... that you don’t know where you come from... you have no idea of where you might go and who is influencing you,” Rowley said.
He said added to that was the fact that the world was constantly changing as computers seemed to be replacing books.
“The computer chip... it’s now in your pocket. Most parents don’t even know what a chip looks like,” Rowley said.
Regarding the deadlines for the committees, he said none was specifically set but at the same time the work was expected to be produced with reasonable expectation. The PM also assured the work would not be shelved but taken into consideration.
Regarding the history textbook, Rowley said it was critical that people knew where they were in the world otherwise they would be lost and if they did not know where they came from they would be lost.
“If we have a good grounding in our history it would motivate us in our future. If we don’t teach our children the proper and accurate version of our history... some of them not meaning well could teach them the revised version according to their agenda and that is unacceptable in any developing nation,” Rowley said.
On the issue of revisiting VAT on non-textbooks Rowley maintained that tax must be paid.
Echoing his sentiments was chairman of both committees Prof Theodore Lewis, who said research, which was documented and even reported in the media over the years, had shown that some 100 primary schools were not performing up to par. He urged that early childhood education was key, especially in rural communities where that may not be easily accessed.
On the issue of private primary schools outperforming government schools, Education Minister Anthony Garcia said while the primary school system had good management, there was greater parental support in the private primary schools.
REFORM COMMITTEES
Members of the Committee to Review the Early Childhood Education and Primary School Curriculum:
• Chairman: Prof Theodore Lewis
• Dr Jerome Teelucksingh
• Dr Eastlyn McKenzie
• Allyson Hamel Smith
• Theresa Neblett-Skinner
• Lisa Ibrahim-Joseph
• Maureen Taylor-Ryan
Committee to Develop a Refereed Foundation Textbook on the History of T&T:
• Chairman Prof Theodore Lewis
• Prof Bridget Brereton
• Shri Ravindranath Maharaj
• Dr Walter Look Lai
• Dr Heather Cateau
• Dr Hollis Liverpool
• Lisa Kewley