school system

I’m going to start a new post because I have something on my mind that I just can’t shake. It is triggered by my recent visit to Grand Roy Government school, where I am doing an after school class with six grade 5 students. I knew going in that these students were the lowest in the class and was expecting some difficulties with reading and writing but I did not expect what I found. At least two of these children have very little to no ability to read. When they asked how to spell a word and I prompted them to provide at least the initial letter, they had extreme difficulty. In other words, my grade 2 students last year were for the most part above these grade 5 students. The sad thing is that they will not really have time to do anything about it, since this is their last year of primary school. After grade 5 they are expected to take exams to gain entrance into secondary school. Now, theoretically, these children should never be able to pass this exam, but then again, they also should not have been passed every year up until grade 5! Apparently some students are taken into secondary school even without passing the exam or knowing how to read. Their English books are filled with writing that they can’t read but have diligently copied down from the blackboard. So, one has to ask how this has happened. How have these children been so completely missed? Why is there no one working with them individually? When I started to ask more questions, the answers I received have left me in deep thought. Here in Grenada, education has a somewhat bad rap. Yet, so increasingly does farming and fishing. Students who are not ‘bright’ enough to achieve the illustrious professions (lawyer, doctor, etc) do not have the motivation to continue their education, but do not want to enter the ‘lowly’ professions associated with agriculture. So, there are tonnes of young people simply sitting on their step, waiting their lives away. Or they might emigrate to England, Canada or the U.S. to find work. It seems to be an all or nothing kind of situation.

Back to the school, I wondered how these poor kids had been allowed to get to this point. Now, I’m not completely naive, and I know that kids in Canada and the U.S. experience the same things through teacher neglect, poor programming, and simple bad luck. Students have to commit to helping themselves, and must be willing to put in some hard work. I was shocked to learn that teachers in Grenada do not have to have a teaching degree to become teachers. They are essentially graduates of secondary school who have a certain amount of subject areas. They can apply to any school and be accepted as teachers if they passed enough subjects in secondary school. They go through a brief orientation prior to their start, but it is nothing like an education program. Once I heard this, I couldn’t help but wonder how much of these students failure is in fact a failure on the part of the teachers to identify at risk students. There is also no remedial system in place to help students who are dealing with learning disabilities or just generally need more help. There is one guidance councillor who meets with students, however this is not one per school, it is one per dozen or so schools. Hardly leaves time to meet and work with all the needy students. So, here I am. Teaching a group of six kids for two hours a week. To be quite honest, I don’t believe I can make much of a difference with them. My main goal is to help them achieve some self confidence. Unlike the principal who said when she introduced me to them told them that ‘you know you aren’t very bright, so Ms. Kristy is here to help you catch up”, I want them to begin so see themselves as actually having a brain that they can use. At our Monday meeting of GRENCODA staff yesterday, we were discussing this topic and it is on the radar, but it is hard to know what can be done to change it. GRENCODA is a small organization in the relative scheme of things and cannot effect policy change on a national level, which is what needs to happen. For the time being I am racking my brain for good remedial instruction for these students, if anyone has resources that could be helpful, please forward them to me. The children thank you.