Dear Editor,

The recent announcement by the Chairman of the Education Transformation Oversight Committee (ETOC) Adrian Stokes underscores a long-standing challenge in Jamaica’s education system — students entering secondary school without the foundational literacy and numeracy skills required for academic success.

At a press conference held at Jamaica House on July 23, 2025, Stokes revealed that, beginning September, students who are not performing at the requisite level will be placed on a remedial pathway tailored to their specific learning needs. These students, often assigned to what the Ministry of Education calls “Pathway Three”, will focus on six subjects instead of the standard 10, allowing them to address fundamental gaps in literacy and numeracy.

“It’s a very important development,” Stokes said. “These students will be taken through a more targeted programme to ensure they are better equipped to pursue a successful secondary school life.”

Minister of Education, Youth, and Information Dr Dana Morris Dixon added that the number of subjects these students take will increase as their academic readiness improves.

While this is a welcome intervention, it points to a larger systemic issue that requires not just academic remediation but a structural reimagining of the education model. One promising solution lies in adopting aspects of the German dual education system, which blends classroom instruction with hands-on vocational training.

Germany’s dual system places equal emphasis on theoretical learning and workplace-based training. Students alternate between school and a company where they receive practical training, with strong industry and government collaboration. This model has produced one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in the developed world.

Applied to the Jamaican context, this system could revolutionise how we handle students placed in Pathway Three:

• Engagement through practical learning: Students with weak academic foundations often struggle with traditional classroom methods. Blending literacy and numeracy with vocational content — such as electrical installation, cooking, carpentry, beauty services, or computer repair — can increase engagement, motivation, and retention.

• Flexible academic pathways: In Germany, students are placed on different educational tracks based on aptitude, with the option to move across pathways as they grow. Jamaica could adopt a similar system, introducing foundational years (grades 7-8) that emphasise core skills while allowing for upward academic mobility without stigma.

• Preventing drop-outs through real-world success: Holding students back without offering viable alternatives can lead to disengagement and school drop-outs. The dual system, by offering skill certifications and apprenticeships, provides tangible benchmarks of success that keep students motivated and in school.

• Early certification opportunities: Jamaica could incorporate competency-based certification — such as National Council on Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (NCTVET) levels — into the high school curriculum from grade 9. This would give students visible and marketable milestones, even if they don’t pursue traditional academic routes.

• Teacher and industry collaboration: One of the major challenges facing our educators is the lack of resources and training to provide effective remediation. Germany’s model includes industry professionals and technical experts in the teaching process. Jamaica should consider deeper partnerships between schools and industries and offer targeted professional development for teachers.

Transforming education cannot rest solely on schools. In Germany, the dual model is supported by a multi-sectoral alliance involving the ministries of education, labour, and industry, along with private sector partners who help design curricula, offer apprenticeships, and provide job placement. Skills training is driven by real-time labour market data.

Jamaica must pursue a similarly holistic, data-informed approach. Rather than view remediation as a temporary fix, we must see it as an opportunity to empower students with practical, relevant education. The goal should not be to “hold back” students but to redirect them towards pathways that match their talents, interests, and potential.

The time is ripe for Jamaica to shift its educational strategy — from one focused narrowly on academic performance to one that embraces multiple pathways to success. The dual model offers a blueprint for building an inclusive, skill-based education system that prepares every child — not just the academically gifted — for meaningful participation in the workforce and society.

Denworth Finnikin

denworth.finnikin@gmail.com