Innovation in education

Innovation is clearly necessary in order to transform our inadequate education system, but teachers on their own can do only so much. Winner of the award, Phillip Anthony Rochfod, who teaches at the Lambeau Anglican School in Tobago, said that the profession requires commitment and is a labour of love. But these qualities, crucial as they are, require systemic support in order to help the majority of students.

After all, it is only a minority of lucky individuals who have a natural gift for teaching. But most persons in the profession need formal training in order to impart both knowledge and good attitudes to their charges. As the society has learnt the hard way over the past 30 years, the possession of Advanced Level subjects or a university degree does not mean that a person knows how to pass on their learning to young people. This is a very specialised skill, and one which is crucial for the country’s development.

President Richards asserted that, in past times, it was understood that teachers were exemplars and no one would enter the profession without this understanding. But this is a somewhat idealised view of what actually obtained. The respect accorded to teachers was more a matter of class than of worth — respect was automatic and not necessarily based on performance. The President also noted that children in those days had no rights, adding that this "was not necessarily a bad thing at that time."

We beg to differ. The new thinking in pedagogical circles is that the most effective education systems are student-centred, not instructor-dominated. But the fact that this is a modern discovery does not mean that the old-time systems were good. It merely means that, in those simpler times, their badness was less evident.

The innovation called for by President Richards demands a systemic change which is premised on democratic principles. The best education systems in the world make sure to empower teachers and students. In Finland, which has one of the highest subject pass rates in the world, the teachers all have master’s degrees and often create their own curriculum. In New Zealand, the official curriculum doesn’t tell teachers how to run classes but instead emphasises that students should be given choices and responsibilities for their own education.

In all effective systems, the teacher is no longer a lecturer. Instead, he or she is an activator, facilitator, and motivator. As such, good teachers use six key principles to instruct their charges. They establish a classroom environment that encourages learning by being welcoming. The presentation format in the classroom is relaxing, varied, and stimulating - music or art or even food is used to utilise all the senses in the learning process. The teachers encourage students to think creatively and critically. They use games and skits to activate the material being taught. They transfer the subject to real-life applications and connections. And they have regular review and evaluation sessions.

Obviously, love and commitment are not sufficient to accomplish all this. Even more obviously, making the students the focus of the curriculum makes learning more effective. But for all this to happen the Ministry of Education must provide the necessary training and tools to teachers. If we adopt these modern methods, and stop harking back to days of an illusory good education system, we can completely transform our society for the better within one generation.