The Editor, Sir:

The nation's education sector needs a massive revamping in focus and delivery of a quality, life-long teaching and learning which students at the various levels deserve. Students, the greatest stakeholders in education, are being short-changed of valuable resources and knowledge, especially from the perspective of education preparing the mind to be creative, skilled and productive.

What students now suffer from is a foregoing of education as preparation for persons to be credible and productive citizens, to an adaptation to and practice of educating to pass exams. This sad state in our education sector is easily identifiable in the drilling of students to pass examinations such as GSAT and the CXC's CSEC and CAPE examinations.

In this culture in education, students are taught only what is needed to pass exams and this raises many issues which contradict the major purpose and objectives of education. Students at the primary level ought not to be plunged into the kind of pressure which the GSAT exam carries. The intensity of the 'training' to pass these exams is not suitable for the cognitive level of students at that age. These young minds should see learning as an exploring experience and not a series of rigorous drills which form a part of a nationwide fight to matriculate into preferred secondary level schools. This bypasses the integrated and holistic approach to teaching and learning which is needed to develop learning capacity, boost performance and prepare students to be productive individuals.

Empowered, changed, challenged

The same can be said at the secondary level, where teachers and administrators follow a modified and restricting curriculum so as to ensure passing of exams, and neglect the essential needs of students, the satisfaction of which enables them to function productively in society. Education needs to be guided by a vision which looks beyond the examination room. Students should be empowered, changed and challenged in such a way that they are prepared to channel knowledge productively into starving areas of our society because they have been educated and not trained to pass exams.

As a result of this emerging culture in our education sector, Jamaica's education landscape today has been transformed into a multi-million dollar business being capitalised on by many institutions which have bought into and are perpetuating the culture of educating to pass exams. These many institutions which market themselves with promises of assuring students and prospective students of passing exams in minimum time and obtaining excellent grades have flourished into a big industry across the island.

This calls for a review of the system by stakeholders and key policymakers. The Ministry of Education should examine this as an urgent matter, especially in a society where people are graduating with meagre employment opportunities and a nation challenged by economic waves which demand creative and empowered minds to survive.

Therefore, as the Ministry of Education operationalises the National Inspection Agency, I hope the organisation delivers on its purpose as stated by the minister: "The National Inspection Agency plays a key role in the development of our nation by supporting the Ministry's mission to provide a teaching and learning system that delivers a globally-competitive workforce and a disciplined, culturally aware and ethical Jamaica citizenry".

I am, etc.,

DIMARIO D. SULLIVAN

dimariosullivan@yahoo.com

Mico University College

Kingston