Education research needed

Mrs Manning noted that these changes had occurred under her stewardship, but she can hardly take credit for any progress since she has explicitly refused to take blame for any deficiencies. If Mrs Manning brings any virtue to the important post she holds, it is that she appears to be listening to the pedagogy experts at her Ministry.

Of course, it would not be politics if the Ministry, in its four-page ad, didn’t attempt to put a spin on the information contained therein. A table on the last page gives the pass rate percentages between 2000 and 2005 in CXC English Language and Mathematics, with a large-font "Congratulations!" printed beneath. But does the table merit such a fulsome exclamation? In 2000, the English Language pass rate, which includes Grade 3, was 60.4 percent. This rose to 67.7 percent in 2001 and has dropped to 60.9 percent in this year.

Mathematics declined in the same period from a low high of 51.1 percent to 45.9 percent. So there has been no real change in these two key subjects, nor is a 40 and 54 percent failure rate anything to crow about. The pattern revealed by the pass rates in various other subjects may merit further analysis. The only subject with a 100 percent pass rate was Religious Education, an exam that was first written in 2003 by 62 students, none of whom failed in that year either.

Does this mean that high-achieving students choose to study this subject or does it mean that the exam does not meet proper academic criteria? High pass rates were also recorded in Home Economic Management (82 percent), Food and Nutrition (79 percent) and Information Technology (79 percent). The high pass rates in the first two may have something to do with the fact that these classes are almost exclusively female. But that IT should have such a high pass rate bodes well for that field, and suggests that the Ministry should carry out a study to see what is being done right in this area and if the exam provides a solid foundation.

The five subjects which fewest students pass are Math, Electronic Technology, Visual Arts, Human and Social Biology, and Building Tech-Woods. This suggests that the teaching methods in these areas need significant revamping. Maths is inherently difficult for most students, while the trade subjects clearly require urgent pedagogical analysis, especially since it is these subjects that are likely to offer employment and business opportunities for working class students. As for Biology, it is odd that this should pose such a problem for students, who tend to have a great interest in such matters. And the low pass rate in Visual Arts in this Carnival country may be sending a dire signal about the future of the national festival.

The Education Ministry states that it aims to have 80 percent of students graduating with a full certificate by 2010. Frankly, we think the goal should be 100 percent, but even the lesser goal will not be achieved unless the Ministry does ongoing research on its policies and practices. This is crucial if we want to transform Trinidad and Tobago into a developed society.