The Editor, Sir:

In philosophy, a first principle is a basic, foundational proposition or assumption that cannot be deduced from any other proposition or assumption. In mathematics, first principles are referred to as axioms or postulates.

To understand the basic problem concerning our education system, one has to go back to first principles.

If there are just X number of places available in 'good' high schools, then no more than X children will benefit from these places (all other things remaining equal). No matter which examina-tion we use to determine these 'good' children, it is axiomatic that no more than X 'good' children will benefit.

We can debate 'til we are blue in our face, that will not increase this figure. Or no matter how we believe that "an absolute priority must be to raise the mean average test scores at GSAT" (as postulated by a recent Gleaner editorial), this will not swell the number of 'good' high school places. These discussions, often heated, only serve as red herrings to mask the true problem. If the average GSAT score was raised to 60 per cent (at present just over 50 per cent) would that improve the number of 'good' high school places in and of itself (ceteris paribus)?

Define a 'good' high school

It stands to reason, therefore, that what we must do is to increase the number of these 'good' places. That is what we should focus on. Until we do, we are doomed to fight over this scarce resource.

This brings me to another point. What do we define as a 'good' high school? As far as I am concerned, if the average grade of students entering is Y per cent and at graduation the average of this same cohort is improved to Y(1+Z/100) per cent, then that school has done valuable work. How valuable depends on how high Z is.

If a school gets only 'good' students with an average of over 90 per cent and at the time of graduation this same cohort averages 90 per cent, is this school better than one whose entrance average is just 60 per cent but raises this average to 75 per cent at graduation time?

I believe an analysis, done in the early 1990s, used this same indicator to conclude that Meadowbrook High School performed better than Campion College over the period of that study. This is not to say that Campion was not the better school absolutely. But which school provided more value added?

Try past gsat paper

Finally, how many of us parents have tried to do a past GSAT paper? I venture to say that those of us that have would confess that some of the concepts/questions involved are d-mn hard.

Come to think about it, how many parents can carry around the weight of the textbooks, etc. required by these GSAT students on a daily basis? I remember when what books I carried to school could be banded together by my belt.

If the truth be told, some of these children in grades 4, 5 and 6 'work' harder than their parents. Often from 7 in the morning to 10-11 at night on school days and frequently on weekends, extra lessons and all. But more on GSAT later.

Perhaps we have taken the joy out of learning in our effort to inculcate (a synonym for hammer) education into our children.

I am, etc.,

EGERTON CHANG

e_rider69@hotmail.com