Tewarie hits bad teachers

University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine, principal Dr Bhoe Tewarie made a scathing attack on bad teachers yesterday. He was launching a “Symposium on Critical Thinking in Teaching and Learning” at the Learning Resource Centre (LRC), UWI. Tewarie said: “How many of us have witnessed or experienced a teacher cutting down a student for a cheap laugh from the rest of the class, and to make himself big?” Tewarie did not spare his own staff from rebuke. He said: “How many lecturers in the university parade their knowledge before students without a care in the world whether students are learning anything?” In our educational institutions, he said, the psychology of plunder and the desire to humiliate and hurt were everywhere.

Tewarie urged less combat in education. Instead he wanted to see us rethink our views on education, and see the creation of learning communities throughout our society to stimulate thinking, creating and innovation. “This symposium opens the doors of the university to engage the community and parts company with the tradition of academics talking to other academics only.” Saying 4,000 people had applied to attend, he revealed: “We have 400 people here (LRC), 750 at the JFK (hall) and 1,000 on a waiting list.” He marvelled at this huge public interest. He said: “Why this response? What is happening that I do not see? I would like to think that you are searching for answers and you think that we might at least be able to walk the road of discovery together.”

He hoped UWI would be seen as an oasis upon which the community could draw when it felt challenged. “I would like to think our community wants a more meaningful education system and are willing to work to realise such an objective.” He said we lived in challenging times. “The time has come for you to stand up for what you believe. We must think through our future and create it. Because if we do not create our future someone else will.” He urged collective action, saying individual achievement should not be at the expense of the community. “Individual achievement must facilitate the rise of the community at large.” Tewarie said UWI will establish an Institute of Critical Thinking, link to the Commonwealth Institute for Education, establish an international think tank, create a network of scholars, improve its website, and seek international funds for the new institute.