Former president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association and new principal of the Albert Town High School, Wentworth Gabbidon has suggested that there are aspects of the British education system that could benefit Jamaica and there are also aspects of the Jamaican system that could be of use in the United Kingdom (UK).

He stressed that in terms of quality, the Jamaican system was on par with the one in the UK.

Gabbidon, who has just completed a three-month fellowship in the UK looking at the British education system, told JIS News that the experience was very good.

He said that in the areas of resources and assistance to teachers, the setting of targets for students and self-evaluation in schools, those could be of use in the Jamaican system.

On the other hand, he said the UK could benefit from several aspects of the Jamaican system, especially in the areas of classroom control and discipline.

Gabbidon said he was selected for the Fellowship by the Jamaica Teachers’ Association. The programme is organised by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and the British Council.

He was one of six Commonwealth Fellows on the programme and was placed in the Mosley Secondary School in Birmingham. He was also able to visit several other schools in the area.

During the placement, he shadowed the Head, as the emphasis was on education leadership and management structures.

“We all learnt much as the programme also included a one-week leadership workshop and also in terms of education leadership and how it operates in the United Kingdom,” he said.

One area of concern he had was the under-performance of Afro-Caribbean boys, which he said could be caused by community and cultural differences.

Gabbidon suggested that one initiative which could assist to address the problem was the establishment of links between schools in the UK and in Jamaica.