Illiterate sub-nation of under-20s

THE EDITOR: Much has been written, and will continue to be written about the fact that the most prosperous country in the English Speaking Caribbean, while having two Nobel Laureates in a decade to its credit, and having earned a seat on the ICC, has a sub-nation of under-20s who are functionally illiterate. One aspect of this problem, that could have been predictable, but wasn’t discussed, is the question of what language do we speak. The books we read are written in English, so are the essays our children must write to pass difficult exams, the Cambridge Overseas exams as well as the PSAT, SAT exams are written in English. Since de vernacular ting become we ting, everybody torkin like dey never read a book, and so de chirren and dem cyar recognise wat in de book as de same language dey does tork in de streets.

If we want de chirren to learn to read, dey mus hear de language at home too. De mudders and dem need to read to dey chirren. English wuz not always ah foreign language in de islands, but in the las 30 years or so, we trini ting take over, and now we chirren cyar read squat. The books instruction done become like ah forren language. Dat is why de chirren in de prestige schools and dem does succeed. Dey come from homes where people speak closer to wat dey go hear and see in de book, and de teachers and dem could read to de chirren. Even do one who come from de bush and from behind de bridge and dem places like dat, the few who do get in, could be absorbed by the majority. If the school have so much noise from nonsense and disturbed lives, how you go hear if de teacher reading? If de teacher reading standard language like dialect, she confusing war de chirren hearing. And dose inspectors of schools and such, war do dey speak, and the radio stations? In America, a foreign child can learn to pronounce words from listening to national public radio, or any major newscaster. What is the standard of TnT talk radio? Is there one, or is everyone doin e own ting?

There has to be a national commitment to education for it to work. Seems simple, doesn’t it? Quiet is a necessity of learning. The language of the text also needs to be the language of instruction. Perhaps we need some courses in teaching Standard English as a foreign language. I have no doubt that teachers are a dedicated lot. Everyone working in newspapers has to thank some teacher for teaching reading. The trouble is, we did not bring along enough of the others who were denied opportunity, and who return to communities where parents’ desires for their children cannot be turned into positive action, because they simply do not know how, or are too tired or beaten down. The more nonsense TV watched the harder it becomes to decode the language of instruction which unfortunately does not come in 15-minute soundbites with commercial laugh tracks. Those babies who survive the neo-natal units of our public hospitals, need to be read to, early, from the crib.

LINDA EDWARDS
Port-of-Spain