January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Letter - The education of our students cannot be reduced to labelling
Dear Sir,
After recently completing a total of 46 years in education - as a classroom teacher at primary and secondary levels, including a total of twenty-four years as a school administrator at primary, secondary and middle school, and more recently as an Education Officer, I am still incensed by the reference to our students in negative terms, name, 'thugs'
From my experience in the Bermuda public school system, enrolment of students takes place annually for preschool, primary, middle and senior schools every February. As far as I am aware, no one is labelled as a 'thug' or any other derogatory name at registration. There is no background information on first-time registrants that would classify students into various categories - 'thug' or 'non-thug'. There is no racial profiling, evidence of criminality, religious persuasion or racial orientation.
Because I served the public school system, I immediately knew the composition of any student body would be a direct reflection or image of the greater population of this country - a factor that is true of any country anywhere in the world.
Students who attend our public schools come to school on a daily basis with their 'whole selves.' Our students leave nothing at the gate or main doors. Our schools are challenged to meet all their needs as a regular part of the school day, whether these needs are social, intellectual, religious, physical and emotional.
The challenges that face our administrators and instruction and support staffs are great! As reality would bear me out, some of these challenges are so great that some of us, no matter the type of preparation in training we have had (three degrees with related practicums, and more courses even) are still unprepared to deal with the reality of some of the challenges, many of which impact on academic learning.
I really believed that our citizens recognized that our schools exist in a democratic environment where everyone must be given the opportunity to make progress. Several of our students were prepared more than adequately in the public school system initially, and later transferred to the private sector. Remember that school - public school in particular - is a reflection of our society, hence our challenge as a country!
A caring attitude and dedication to the teaching profession, with quality instruction and acceptance of all students, are necessary for any student to make progress.
Often, marked progress in social-emotional matters affects learning in a positive sense. I am a constant witness to the many students I have taught and guided who might have appeared at the time of observation at school to be unable or unwilling to make the strides I would have hoped to see back then, go on to become positive member of society, locally and abroad. Often they have stopped me in the streets and informed me about their current state of affairs - achievement of degrees in specialist areas, their progress with their family members, their ability to manage successfully in the labour market in many different areas.
Thankfulness
Most of all the real satisfying response in conversation with me is their genuine thankfulness for my caring attitude, accompanied with hugs from males and females whom I have taught. Then they make reference to others in education who impacted their lives similarly. My response is to thank God who has made all things possible!
Realistic funding is necessary to effect quality education as well. I can recall many occasions I and staff spent personal funds to feed a child or to make things happen in our classrooms. We operated a hot lunch programme to raise sufficient funding for the day-to-day teaching materials we needed to make teaching more possible. I have questioned the budget too, on many occasions. I wondered whether or not the budget represented the real needs of my schools - like departmental needs for courses such as Design and Technology, Family Studies which includes units of study in Cookery and Sewing for instance, or the visual Arts (Art), to name a few.
Some of us have worked miracles with respect to the budget! Many thanks to individuals and groups like the management of Bermuda Glass Company which supplied extra materials for our design and Technology department, a true demonstration of the Bermudian spirit! Perhaps now is the time to take a much closer examination of the budget and a school's particular needs beyond the usual pupil-teacher ratio formula. And the physical plant of a school - I'll leave that matter for another discussion and time!
Bermuda would do well to recall some of the earlier values with which I grew up where the church, school and family promoted characteristics that helped to build character.
Inclusive of this development were the opportunities to establish values and opportunities to make decisions and to live with the consequences of those decisions from early childhood and onwards. That's why the day I walked out of elementary school over a matter about which I was mad, I learned (by myself) that I was wrong. Funny, when I became the principal in that same building many years later, and times were very difficult for me as an administrator in that setting, I simply recalled that incident when I left, and re-determined that I could not, nor would not walk away from difficult challenges as an administrator also!
I do believe that for years Mr. Burchall did get it wrong. I do believe that he meant well in communicating with us, but the education of the public school system is of far greater importance and relevance than that of determining whether or not it consists of 80 percent or more problem students...Or if it consists of 80 percent well-behaved and average students.
The education of our children cannot be subjected to mere labeling. I have attempted to share with you some of the matters which are no longer secrets.
By the way what is an average student anyway?
Carol N. Bassett,
Recently retired educator
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