Claudia Gardner, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

TEACHERS AT at Rhodes Hall High School in Hanover will have a major task come September when they are faced with 189 new seventh-grade students who all performed below the regional and national averages in this year's Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT)

One hundred and fourteen of the new students are boys who failed to get more than 50 per cent in any area of the GSAT.

Many of the new students are only functionally literate, having averaged less than 30 per cent in language arts and read at the pre-primary level.

A disappointed Loreen Aljoe, principal of the three-year-old school, told The Sunday Gleaner that for the fourth consecutive time the education ministry has given her staff "a basket to carry water".

"I am very disappointed with the scores of the students I got, but I won't go and tear out my hair. This is my opportunity to prove to everybody that I am an effective instructional leader and that my teaching staff is effective. We have already started to prepare for this set of students," Aljoe said.

"I have already had my first-grade meeting and we have looked at what we want for the new school year. Each grade is supposed to submit its action plan before leaving in July. I meet with the heads of departments on Monday morning to look at benchmarking and setting targets," Aljoe added.

She said the question as to why the school, which was built to be operated as a traditional high school, is the recipient of only low-performing students, remains unanswered by the education ministry.

"We were told the school was built in this side of the parish to ease overcrowding at The Manning's School and would be a traditional high school where the students who can handle themselves would go.

"When you look at the academics labs compared to the vocational labs, you see that this is a school which has a bias towards the academics. We have five state-of-the-art science laboratories, two computer rooms and a well-designed layout - a well-equipped school," she said

"But, they have built a brand-new state-of-the-art school, and sent me students with 20s and 30s and zeros. You give me a straight academics-type environment and send me non-readers?" she questioned.

Aljoe said she was also displeased with the Ministry of Education's method of assessing the performance of schools.

Value added

"It hurts, because we are cultured to think that those (schools) with the 90s and so on, make for a good school. But my thinking is that value added makes for a good school. So my value added is far greater than the 'high-achieving schools, because I get them (students) at 30 per cent, and we get to where we have them at 80 per cent on a consistent basis.

"When you get students with a 29 per cent average, you are being labelled as a low-performing school. We believe the ministry has designed for us to fail even before we get off the ground. The playing field is not level," Aljoe added.

The principal said the assessment of schools should not be based solely on CSEC results.

"You publicise that the Campions, the Immaculates, are in the top ten. I don't watch that, because I can give them a run for their money any day, as Rhodes Hall has a good structure in place and a good instructional leader. I am not perturbed. I know I can stand up. However, how are you going to assess performance by just looking at the CSEC? What did I start off with?

"Because frankly, you don't expect a child to come to your school with a 90s average and at the end of the five years, go out with anything less than eight CXCs - all (Grade) Ones.

"These schools get the children who score in the 90s. So for them to get nine Grade Ones, it is just the norm. You have not done anything other than to maintain the status quo. Their parents are the ones who are supposed to value education, and who have the means. So most times, the parents are really doing the work and these schools end up benefiting," Aljoe contended.

According to Aljoe, the education ministry should also turn the spotlight on the primary schools in Hanover, as it appears there is a major problem at that level.

claudia.gardner@gleanerjm.com