The Tribune

A CONVERSATION stood out to one of The Tribune’s members of staff at a back to school event in the past week.

The event, to welcome both new and returning parents of children to the school, saw one teacher call on those parents who were her former students to raise their hands – and a number did so.

She welcomed the sight – and talked of continuity, each year building on the year before, and both parents and school staff growing together to improve.

That sense of continuity is an important one – and one often absent from the discussion at the political level about education.

The recent examination results created considerable discussion – with grades not all that might have been hoped for.

Political opponents took potshots at one another, while former Education Minister Jeff Lloyd also popped up to offer his suggestions for what should be done with education, only for the Bahamas Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson to tell him his time had passed and he had the chance when he was in office and didn’t do it then.

Now there is truth in some of lots of the sniping – but what is notably absent from such is that word the teacher spoke about: continuity.

If there is one department perhaps more than any other in our country that needs to avoid being caught up in political wrangles, it is education.

It is a department that needs to build on the strengths of what went before, just as that teacher said. Typically, children going through their education might have more than two administrations governing while they pass from entering primary school through to leaving as a graduate. What they need is not different parties shouting at each other about how wrong they are doing things, but a determined bi-partisan approach to examine what is the best path for education, and commit to following it together.

A change of government should be a baton pass for education, not tearing down what went before just because someone else was doing it.

Equally, being overly defensive about problems benefits no one. The case of the complaints about whether or not some Cuban teachers speak English well enough to be able to teach is a case in point.

First, it should be said that whether they can or cannot speak English well is not the fault of any of the teachers concerned. It is not their fault they were employed for a role that was a challenge for their skillset if that is the case.

But there does not need to be arguments over the matter – the teachers either are or are not equipped for the role. There does not need to be a long investigation – simply speak to the various teachers, perhaps to the parent associations at the schools where the teachers are, and determine if there is a difficulty.

Simply find out what the situation is in order to ensure the best outcome for the children.

Because that ultimately is where our focus must lie, making sure that children have the best conditions in which to learn – and, with continuity, have the confidence to know what the years ahead in their education will look like.

It should not be a tug-of-war, but rather both sides pulling on the ropes together, to take us further forward.

If there are criticisms to be encountered, they should be able to be solved together. After all, given the yo-yo nature of our governments in switching between parties, the next party along may well inherit the students who are struggling, if indeed they are, and the system under which they are struggling.

Those exam grades do not turn around overnight – so trying to find the best way to elevate all students is something that benefits the schools, the children and the nation.

That does not sit well of course with the habits of our political flagbearers – but perhaps it should. There are plenty of other ways to disagree.