A place for all

The nation turned its attention this week to primary school students who wrote an important examination. We were inspired by their screams of joy, their hope, their innocence. Teenagers, more reserved and mature, also went through their “rites of passage,” deciding what to wear, quietly listening to graduation speeches, wondering how the exam results will determine their own future.

Do the right thing even when no one is looking. Service. Commitment.

Leadership.

These are the often-repeated themes at graduation exercises, designed to motivate and encourage.

Young people are challenged to discover what they can do for their community or their country. They are told that the future lies in their hands, that future generations need them.

Yet, does our system prepare young people for the responsibilities we are asking them to take on? Civics, defined as “the study of the rights and duties of citizens,” must be taught, within the context of nation- building. History must focus on our heroes and heroines — the people who fought for and acted upon their vision of our collective future.

Leaders must be developed early, and from within the school system.

At a recent graduation ceremony, the principal cautioned the young people about looking to politicians for examples of leadership. They were asked instead to emulate the mothers and fathers who sacrificed to ensure that their children received an education.

At one level, it is true that our politicians fill us with dismay.

However, engagement at the political and community levels are key components of national transformation.

But what would this entail? Do our young people get an opportunity to develop projects that help them to learn about the elders and icons of their communities? Are they taught about the value of volunteerism or understanding how people in their community earn a living? Can we move the discussion beyond that of laptops and porn, and deliberately set out to use technology as a force for positive youth transformation? We expect our young people one day to run our country, but we do not teach them not to litter their schoolyards, or respect the environment.

Their learning environment leaves much to be desired, as too many of our schools do not have green spaces. We do not adequately promote the potential of Carnival, theatre and the arts to unify cultures.

This year, after seven years of primary schooling, just over 2,000 young people earned less than 30 percent in the SEA exam. Dr Lovell Francis, Minister in the Ministry of Education, stated that “we can’t afford to have 2,000 young people on the cusp of secondary school who are unable to read or write.” The truth is, in many instances, a place for all does not translate into education for all. Lingering inequalities in the system contribute significantly to the fact that a woefully small number of young people emerge from our schools properly educated, or with an understanding of leadership.

The truth is, across the system — teachers, students, administrators and parents — are focused on an endless cycle of curriculum deadlines, lessons and exam results.

Our future leaders languish while we struggle to change an education system that was not designed for us and is ill-equipped to serve our needs.

Fortunately, there are young people all over the country who have decided not to wait, as they mentor and engage in creative, social and political endeavours. We need to cultivate more youth leaders, community activists and citizens with the values to take us forward. And we need to do it now.

D a r a Healy is a performance artist and founder of the NGO, the Indigenous Creative Arts Network – ICAN