Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, in a Guardian newspaper article, "Fatherless and clueless", discussed the issue of violence in our nation's schools. He cited several examples of violence in many of our Secondary Schools. He penned a chilling statement talking about 'the creation of an entire generation of youths that will form the next wave of criminals. Have mercy! I hasten to add that this article was written before he became Attorney General. He therefore was blaming the then governnment for not taking decisive action to stem the tide of the violence.
Anyway, I don't want to engage in any political discourse. My interest as an educator is the implication for teaching. It is said that many of the incarcerated criminals are illiterate. As Remedial Reading Specialist, our responsibility is to do our utmost in the classrooms to excite our weak students and inspire them to pursue learning. They may not all go to university but they need to be functionally literate and they need to know that reading empowers them and enhances their life generally. If we really want to show them the relevance of reading, we can probably ask them if they wouldn't want to avoid a situation where their girlfriend/boyfriend writes a love letter and they can't even read it! As a Christian educator, this is where I believe that redemption and education are one. Helping a child to read has far-reaching consequences. It's not just preparing them for this life, by becoming caring, productive citizens but they should know how to unlock the treasure of God's word and prepare for eternity.
I also have heard it said that many persons who are imprisoned in Trinidad and Tobago are illiterates. Well if such a strong correlation really exists between incarceration and illiteracy that will be another powerful motivation to help children become literate. Additionally, there is the social benefit as you said of being able to read the love letters of one's significant other. I have come up with many other reasons why being literate is so important in our society. For example, to read road signs, institutions or buildings, order food in a fancy restaurant, read the instruction manual of the cool new gadget that one has bought, to read a recipe, a novel or as you mentioned the bible. Finally, if children plan to pursue higher education, they will need to learn to read well.
ReplyDeleteHeather, I find it deeply disturbing that a number of secondary school students do not wish to become literate. To them this is irrelevant, because they are already gang members who are involved in criminal activities which put "easy money" into their pockets. In trying to persuade one of my male students to apply himself to his studies, this fifteen year old told me that he supports himself by selling weed and that he is "good wid dat". He likes to come to school to meet the girls. Another young man told me about his guns and his customers. Like the first student, he said that school is for meeting girls. (Unfortunately, this sort appears to be very attractive to even the more academically able female students.) Both of these male students can read and are not remedial. Whether or not our underworld students are remedial, we can ask ourselves if the educational system has failed them via tired, boring and demotivating teaching practices. Are teachers partly culpable for this malaise of male disengagement from school, illiteracy and the crime wave?
ReplyDeleteI sincerely pray that neither of these youths will join the ranks of the convicted or suffer the ultimate fate. While it is true that they have also been influenced by situations and elements external to the school, I agree with you that our responsibility as Reading Specialists is to make every effort to motivate all of our students to become literate in every way that will make them productive, successful, law-abiding citizens. I am pleased that in this course, we are learning about technologies which are practical and appropriate for helping us to realize this objective. Certainly, we want our students to be able to read and understand God's word, and appreciate that there is an eternity that can confront us at any time. (The first male student I mentioned said that he "Could dead anytime because when yuh dead, yuh done. It eh have nutten after dat.)
Beverly Phillip-Le Gendre
Hi Colin,indeed the social benefits of being able to read are limitless. Maybe we should compile a list, along with the students, to help them appreciate the relevance of learning. Bev, in her response, also lamented the fact that many Secondary School students find the ability to read as being "irrelevant".
ReplyDeleteSo, the onus is on us, especially if the home environment fails in this regard, to open their eyes. May God help us all as conscientious educators to use the strategies and new technologies at our disposal to help our students. It's a very frightening thought that so many of our illiterate students enter the underworld and eventually become statistics in our jails. As you rightly said, let this thought inspire us to do our utmost.
Hi Beverly, I could identify with the responses of your students. I am always amazed at their warped thinking.We live in a world of 'instant'- instant coffee, instant you name it. The life of ease is more attractive. No one wants to discipline the mind. According to one of my students,while being engaged in an activity requiring mental application "Miss, it too hard."
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that some of us as teachers are culpable. I have heard time and time again, that teachers don't like to write lesson plans and units but let's face it, if we don't can we really deliver effective teaching if our planning is not thorough catering to the diverse needs of our students so that they don't become bored and disengaged (especially our boys)?If we want different results, we have to do things differently.
Indeed, this course is quite timely. Let us make the best use of all that we have gained.Let us think about the children and prevent one more from being a jail statistic. All the best to you.
I read with much interest this discourse. I just want to mention that at YTC, these same students graduate with 1s, 2s and other grades at CXC. And not only there but from Golden Grove as well. I am leaving the explanations for the sociologists, but I, like others am inclined to ask, what are we not doing?. And not only us but the home, the church, the community, the government, the private sector, the list can go on and on. It is obvious that at any given time there will be dysfunction in any one or several of these aforementioned at any given time and there may never be any synchronized efforts to address literacy issues.
ReplyDeleteBut I believe the onus is on us and we must execute that mandate by partnering with the community. Use somebody's shed or garage, the church hall etc., start a homework centre, a reading centre. Just start the journey with one little footstep. If it sounds oversimplified, I apologise, but I have seen, by doing, what a Friday evening 'read to' can do for children. (I did it in church and we would put newsprint on the walls for me and the children to illustrate) Just something for us to think about.
Regards
Hi Nisha, that's encouraging news in that there is hope for these students. It shows that under the right conditions, they can blossom and fulfil their potential. On the other hand, it shows up the gross weaknesses in the education system. As you rightly asked, "what are we doing?" It is also time for us to stop blaming others and do what we can to reverse the situation. If our efforts can save or give one student a new lease on life then we would have made a significant contribution. No, your idea does not sound oversimplified. It's a start and you are highly commended for your efforts.
ReplyDeleteWe all need to, according to the song "Brighten the corner where we are." All the best.
We have a local adaptation of the word "ignorance" to mean hasty and violent.I agree with you that ignorance in the true sense of lack of knowledge can also assist in encouraging violence.Therefore,if reading skills are enhanced,if learning takes place then the culture of violence and apathy for the law in general can be redressed.So our future really depends on our education.
ReplyDelete