Time to bring accountability to our schools

THE EDITOR: What Dr Cudjoe seems to have done is to employ a strategy used by teachers to generate heated debate and stimulate analytical thinking, that is, presenting students with a thesis that is controversial in content or challenges the status quo in some way.

It is also legitimate for him, as a black activist, to suggest or enquire if the rapid plummeting of Afro-Trini grades may be the result of discrimination by Indian teachers. The retort that Afro-Trini teachers are lazy (am I reporting this hearsay statement author unknown — correctly?) is equally legitimate. As hypotheses for the decline in grades, both statements may be true completely, partially, minimally, or not at all; or only one may be so. More objectively, we can look for factors internal or external to the school to explain the rapid decline in grades. External factors could include inadequate parental support or resources, negative peer influence, a new identity that undermines the commitment to education, excessive TV viewing, personal/psychological factors. Factors internal to the school could include unprofessional or incompetent teacher behaviour and performance (eg racism, laziness), a dysfunctional in-school teacher-culture, conflict between the cultures of teachers and students, an incompetent school administration, and absence of mechanisms to ensure the goals of the school are met.

Investigating these factors would be time-consuming, expensive, and not necessarily productive of healthy relationships between teachers and students. A simpler approach would be to look at the school’s organisational structure (if it has one), and determine at what points conflict could arise. Alternatively, one could examine the principal’s objectives and procedures, and mechanisms for conflict resolution and the development of school spirit. I assume that the primary goals of the school are the maximisation of student achievement; the protection of the rights and property of students, teachers, and non-teaching staff; the safety of students and staff; and the development of a sense of community among students. Students are essential to the school’s existence. Teachers are in a contractual relationship with students, and breach of contract (eg by racism or “laziness”) should result in a lawsuit against the particular teacher/s, principal, and the Minister of Education.

Thus, to ensure the democratic and efficient operation of the school there must be a formal organisational structure that emphasises both accountability and transparency with respect to teacher behaviour and instructional performance, as well as the behaviour and performance of principals. Do TT schools have an organisational structure to ensure accountability and transparency of operations? If not, then it is time to have one. Does the Ministry of Education control the schools in TT? If not, then it is time to do so. A study of the organisational structure of a typical North American school board should prove helpful.

KENNETH
AQUAN-ASSEE
Port-of-Spain