The Ministry of Education has promised to conduct a special programme for parents at the Sophia Primary School to teach them methods to help their children with school work.
If successful, it will be implemented at other schools in the East-Georgetown Educational district. This promise was made at the second “Face the Community Meeting” sponsored by the Ministry which was held at the Sophia Primary School yesterday.
The offer was made after a parent raised the concern that the teachers at that school were often unable to complete the curriculum due to the inability of many of the students to read. This, the parent said, was a major obstacle to them succeeding in examinations.
In response, Acting Assistant Chief Education Officer (Secondary Schools) Melcita Bovell, asked the parents if they would attend the forum if it were held and there was an overwhelming response from the parents. Bovell, said that if the programme was successful at the Sophia Primary School, similar initiatives would be held at other schools. The programme is expected to be started later this month. Minister, within the Ministry of Education, Dr Desrey Fox also suggested that remedial classes could be held for students who are not doing well academically and who may be having difficulty understanding what is taught in the classroom.
Meanwhile in response to a parent’s concern, Dr Fox emphasised that the collecting of contingency fees by teachers was outlawed.
She said that the Ministry had sent out a circular to the different schools explaining its position on the matter. However, the Minister explained that if monies were being collected to provide badges and school report booklets and other necessary items for the students, this must be done through the PTA of that school. And she said that the PTA must issue an official receipt to the parent.
A member of the Sophia Primary School’s PTA urged the parents to show a greater interest in their children’s education. He accused parents of neglecting their children and said that many appeared to only send their children to school “so that they could stay home and watch African Moods” -in reference to the popular television movies aired locally. The parent also accused the Ministry of Education of being biased against the school. According to him, he had been to the Ministry several times and has been stigmatised because of where he came from.
Dr Fox refuted these claims, saying that the Ministry had made a special effort to reach out to schools in areas facing special challenges. Bovell, on the other hand, said that the Sophia School was in no way discriminated against. She said that the school was one of the few schools to have a computer laboratory and one of only thirty schools in the country to have access to “Success Maker” – an interactive software specially geared to teach children.
Teachers and parents representing the Bel Air Nursery and Primary Schools also raised concerns about the shortage of furniture and the fact that there was only one washroom facility available for sixty nursery students. The officials from the Ministry promised to address these issues as quickly and as effectively as possible.
