Dear Editor,

Only a few days ago newly appointed Minister of Education Senator Ruel Reid insisted that education reform would be forthcoming to ensure that students perform at a higher level.

The first change will be a comprehensive education programme to educate parents on how to prepare their children for school. The second will be an overhaul of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), which he believes doesn’t adequately prepare students for high school success.

I applaud Senator Reid for his somewhat innovative thinking with regards to educating parents. I’ve always believed that parents play a critical role in student development. A lot of this development happens prior to the entrance into the formal education system and continues throughout the duration of school. Parents must understand that whatever is learned in school on a daily basis needs to be reinforced, and for those students who continue to struggle, help and encouragement should be forthcoming.

GSAT has been around for roughly 16 years. Its predecessor, the Common Entrance Examination, was changed for the very reason Senator Reid now states. At what point will we have a comprehensive examination that will prepare our students for success? The primary school curriculum, as currently constructed, cannot be taught in regular school hours, and so teachers and students are forced to put in countless hours of extra lessons. If the current overly elaborate curriculum doesn’t prepare students for success, I cannot fathom what changes will. Adding to the curriculum would be a bad idea. There should be no addition without subtraction. If the system is not preparing students for success, changes must be made; however, let’s not always grab the low-hanging fruit. Let’s not be so focused on the tree that we miss the forest entirely. Changing the GSAT will not solve the issues. A comprehensive plan needs to be implemented. This plan should include better parenting techniques, a more structured and focused curriculum, smaller classroom sizes (initially), among others.

Senator Reid’s thinking seems headed in the right direction. Will there be more?

Theon O’Connor

mrcampion10@gmail.com