The Tribune

Today marks the end of another school year. Most educational institutions in The Bahamas would likely describe it as a challenging but successful period. We know, and research bears this out, that quality education systems are those where students, parents, teachers and the administrative system work together in ensuring that no child is left behind.

A key factor in improving the success rate of academic institutions is the level of local corporate support they receive throughout the course of the school year. When businesses understand that they, too, have a crucial role to play in the development of healthy young minds, our school system and society as a whole benefits tremendously.

Here, then, are seven quick tips for businesses on how to keep students engaged during the school year and on summer breaks:

1. Create meaningful after-school care programmes. These can be activity-based programmes that may not be structured like a regular school day, but allow students to explore their specific interests and hobbies.

2. Hire as many students for meaningful summer employment as possible. There are many companies who have a sizeable budget for hiring students during their break period. A little goes a long way in this regard.

3. Create a ‘Support the A’s’ programme or some type of incentive system that rewards students for great academic performance.

4. Deploy and assign professionals to schools in your business district to make the learning process more relevant to real life and actual business experiences. Every senior executive should have some presence in a school as a means of paying it forward.

5. Provide and donate furniture, technology and money to support the many programmes schools struggle to make happen each term. Schools should be focused on providing top quality education for students, and not be burdened with trying to raise funds for trips, computers and such like.

6. Volunteer to be part of the curriculum design. This strategic approach to help the entire school system is vital to the long-term, sustained development of our children’s productivity in the workplace.

7. Enact programmes and policies that encourage parents to be engaged and involved in the life of the school. Have them attend parent-teacher conferences. Participating in reading programmes and school shadowing processes can only help the system.

Our new mantra as a society must become: ‘Education is everyone’s business’. A strong, vibrant and healthy society is an educated one, where even the youngest among us possess the ability to think critically and act responsibly. Let us all do our part.

• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organisations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@ coralwave.com.