124 responses to “Should We Hire Peter Wickham As A Consultant In Education?”

1. 

   David

   May 15, 2008 at 10:00 pm

   
   

   This submission by Bush tea begs the question what has Peter Wickham done to the Bushman? 🙂

   Must say that all members of the BU household did the screaming test. In fact the matriarch did at 10 years old! We endorse the comments of BT so we will not rehash suffice to say no single system can perfectly gauge a true test of ones ability. To toss out the 11 plus means we have to move to continuous assessment and given the fact that Barbados is a small place we fear the influence and intimidation which would come from high places. The old adage applies if it ain’t broke left it alone!

   No disrespect to our teachers but the lack of a performance based approach to evaluating all the players in the service is a strike against moving away from 11 plus in our view.

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2. 

   Tony Hall

   May 15, 2008 at 10:24 pm

   
   

   I have mixed feelings about the 11 plus exams too. I, like many was a product of it too. I agree with David that if we remove it and go the route of continuous assessment we might have some problems given Barbados’ status as a small and class structured society. The 11 plus exam needs to be diversified.

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3. 

   Georgie Porgie

   May 15, 2008 at 11:38 pm

   
   

   I took the “screening test” when it was first introduced in 1962, at age 10. I was already at Boys’ Foundation.

   What is wrong with the test?

   It has its strenths and its weaknesses. But so does everything else.

   What ios more important is devising policies to deal with stellar students, slower students etc.

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4. 

   Tell me Why

   May 15, 2008 at 11:58 pm

   
   

   David of BU.
   The posts of consultant have been replaced by “advisors”. Just bear that in mind.

   I was one one of the many students who sat the screening test whilst at St. Giles’. I gained a pass for Parkinson School. Would you believe the same test we sat to gain places for form “A”, “B”, “C” and “D” where the same test that was used for the last screening test and 28 students including myself pass for Form 1A. Our form master at the time, a Mr. Weir stated that all of us should be flogged because our marks would have allowed us to gain entry to Harrison College or Combermere. So Peter Wickham and Minister Jones, leave the 11-plus alone. This is the only way that each child has a democratic right to gain admission a school based on results.

   Bring ITAL first.

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5. 

   me

   May 16, 2008 at 12:26 am

   
   

   I am in full agreement here. As a poor boy who wnet to a poor and relatively unknown public primary school I sat the test in 1977 and passed for HC where I sat with the well to do the not so well to do and the poor boys like myself. But I liked academics from small so I fit in quite well there. And many who went to this and that PRIVATE primary school didnt last too long at HC.

   The point is that the 11 plus is the most democratic way for us. If continuous assessment is introduced you will have teachers marking their own students and there will be much more room for bias AND outside influence. YOUR LAST NAME WILL DEFINITELY COUNT FOR MORE!

   I agree that there should be more 11plus exams or perhaps even an exma for some students at 13. And we should be looking to guide the student on apth in subjects thatthey are good /intersted in instaed of just mathsand english. Where is our High school for the performing arts for example?

   This nonsense about zoning willnot work. In 2 twos QC, Deigton Griffith will be the top schools and everyone that is anyone will have an address close to these places!

   Peter Wickham is a hot mess on this topic… he has no background or experience ion this field to be so pugnacious.

   Elitism did not start with the common entrnace exam and trust me it is going nowhere!

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6. 

   BGR

   May 16, 2008 at 12:29 am

   
   

   Not forgetting the fact that educators from America and Britain greatly admired our system and lament the fact that theirs have gone to the dogs – my word.
   The 11 plus exam just needs improving on and at the same time cater to those who are not academically inclined.
   Futhermore I do not believe that we should embrace wholeheartedly the US way of doing things in our educational system but we can sure use both positives from the US and British educational system.
   Mr Wickman is the unoffical spokeman for the abolition of the 11 plus exam but I do not see educational officials upsetting the apple cart anytime soon not where their children are concern that is.

   Bajan Global Report
   http://www.bimchat.wordpress.com

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7. 

   thinkbajan

   May 16, 2008 at 1:49 am

   
   

   Pull up. Pull up. The motive that drove the introduction of the”screaming test” had more to do about politics than continuous assessment. At that time there was a constituency of people who believed that the existing methods of transfer – which included interviews – was not fair and was the source of ” privilege”. The new political football was easily pumped hard – and good for match play – because there were limited school places, many untrained teachers, several expatriates in the system etc. The truth is it didn’t really matter from an educational perspective because the quality of primary education was generally excellent. A lot of the air has now come out of the football with the improvement of teacher training, an increase in the number of school places and a reduction in the school population. It did raise other non-assessment issues: we found out that at ages 10 – 12 females generally performed better than males and this is consistent with other countries; there is a mismatch between the skills of graduating students and the employment needs of the society; we no longer produce a core of secondary school graduates with two years of university credit; and there appears to be a decline in our cricket with the growth of coeducation. We can continue to put emotive air into the the political football, if we so choose, and continue to provide a reasonably good size fit all educational system or bite the bullet and preempt the explosion of energy that will occur when thousands of young people with raised expectations because of higher academic qualifications cannot find work and possess the desire or aptitude to become self employed. Who knows, the current energy crisis might very well force people to send their children to neighborhood schools. The bigger truth is that our past has become a friend a deed but our feelings about slavery and elitism keep getting in the way. We urgently need to forgive ourselves.

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8. 

   thinkbajan

   May 16, 2008 at 1:53 am

   
   

   please read as :cannot find work or possess the desire

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9. 

   Gabriel the Horn Blower

   May 16, 2008 at 2:08 am

   
   

   The Sunday Sun of 28 May, 2000 published an article by Hayden Boyce titled “Education under the microscope”. In that article, a breakdown of the performance of Barbadian students in CXC English and Mathematics for the June 1999 exams was given for each school. To my knowledge such information for subsequent years has NOT been made public .

   For the consideration of readers of this blog, the following summary of the performance of students in Mathematics for 1999 is given:

   A total of 1743 students sat the Mathematics exam . This represented about 44% of the cohort, i.e. less than half of the 15 – 16 year olds in schools.

   433 came from 13 newer secondary schools (including Louis Lynch Secondary) and 1319 came from 9 older secondary schools.

   Of the 433 candidates from the newer secodary schools, 1(yes ONE!) achieved a grade I, 15 (grade II) and 60 (grade III, which was not considered a passing grade at that time).

   Of the 1310 candidates from the older secondary schools, only 61 achieved a grade I (with HC and QC accounting for 46 of these!), 228 (grade II) and 448 (grade III).

   So 17% (305) of candidates achieved a passing grade at Mathematics in 1999 with HC, QC, C’mere and St. Michael accounting for 248 of the 305 students passing the subject.

   My teacher friends have assured me that the results are much better in recent times but the figures are still closely guarded secrets. Bear in mind that today a grade III is now considered a pass and in the opinion of some teachers the exam has been made easier under pressure from C’bean governments in order to report better performances.

   I want to end this little missive with this observation, as we consider full zoning with the assertion that the stronger students will assist the weaker students, my query is; where are these “stronger” students ? The data reveals that of the approximately 3600 students transfering to secondary schools only about 8 – 12% are able to achieve a passing grade in Mathematics after 5 years of instruction in our much vaunted educational system.

   If we wish to improve educational outcomes, it would probably do us well to focus less on the 11+ exam per se and more on what is happening in both primary and secondary schools in terms of teaching and assessment methodologies, school mangement and curriculum concerns.

   I’ve blown enough hot air for today.

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10. 

    The People’s Democratic Congress

    May 16, 2008 at 3:35 am

    
    

    Some time ago, in the Nation Newspaper, January 30, 2008, one Professor Michael Howard, was reported in that particular edition as saying how there were three areas this Government ought to focus on: the economic management of the country, tax policy, and the high cost of living. He was also reported as stating that the expansionary policies of the former Owen Arthur Administration had led to the “over-heating” of the economy, which he said was, among other things, caused by conspicuous consumption. Furthermore, according to this particular Nation Newpaper, he bluntly opined that the island was now at a point where serious decisions had to be made to reduce high levels of spending, maintain capital controls and curb illegal imigration. With regard to the issue of rising prices in Barbados, he was interpreted by the said newspaper as saying that the problem could NOT be solved by fiscal or monetary policies, even as he was at the same time reported in the said newspaper to be blaming the spiralling cost of living on imported foods and was reported to be saying how local farmers needed to grow more food.

    But, who would believe that in the Thursday, May 15, 2008 edition of the NATION Newspaper, this same ole waffling scribe, three and a half months after regaling us with the above wishy washy, would be quoted as saying that “our problem is excessive imports”. What foolishness of the highest order!! How could one properly contextualize such? How? What are you, Dr. Howard, really saying, given what you were reported to have said in that January 30 issue? What a meteoric fall down!! What is so much more intellectually worse than believing that imports are really excessive and that they are national problem is when, in the said newspaper, he is reported as saying that the government’s policy focus should be on trying to reduce the excessive demand for consumption goods (consumer goods?), rather than REDUCING THE COST OF LIVING – incidentally, this same cost of living that he is alleged to have said the goverment should have been focussed upon and that has been for a long time wrecking untold havoc on the lives of thousands upon thousands of people in this country. Dr. Howard must really be told in no uncertain terms by our party that the problem IS definitely NOT excessive imports, and that there are so many, many national and sectoral problems that are caused by us and that are affecting us, covering so many areas, politically, materially, socially and financially, and that relate to the commerce and trade business in Barbados, that he himself should relly be focussing on many of the critical problems. E.g TAXATION. Quite specifically, in contrast to this Howardian false issue of excessive imports – and which is what the said Dr. Howard is so wrongly claiming to be the “problem” right now, we in PDC have long recognized that what is really the fundamental problem is the SUM TOTAL VALUE ( NOT THE ACTUAL VOLUME per se ) of goods and services that are imported into the country for any one given year ( about BDS $ 3.2 billion 2006 – the FEBRUARY 2008 Central Bank publication – Economic and Financial Statistics ), given too that we in Barbados unwisely continue to import the prices of goods and services from other countries into Barbados. Indeed, if we were the Government today under our policy of making sure that IMPORTS OF GOODS AND SERVICES INTO THIS COUTRY WOULD BE ZERO-“PRICED” AT ALL POINTS OF ENTRY, surely there would have been the need at this stage to get far greater levels of import of goods and services into the country, esp consumer non-durables and durables, intermediate and capital goods and services. Therefore, such a policy, in operation with other progressive policies like the Abolition of Taxation; the Abolition of Interests Rates; Making sure that institutional Loans for productive purposes are deemed Non-Repayable and Making sure that Exports would be paid for in Local Currency/”Prices”, would NEVER EVER be asisting in the bringing about of any fiscal and external deficits, but surpluses, for the state and people of Barbados. For sure, far more greater increases – rather fall offs – in the levels of goods and services that are imported into Barbados are what are necessary if a future PDC Government’s target would be to achieve average annual long term growth rates of 8 – 10 per cent for the country.

    Finally, we in PDC assume that when Dr. Howard talks about reducing demand for consumption goods (consumer goods ?) what he really means is that any results consistent with the achievement of such an objective must realize, on one extreme, lower “prices” for some of those goods, and higher “prices” for some others, even though in both cases the objective would be to lower demand for these goods. And, for him, to actually do so would certainly mean implementing wage restraint again ( must be murder now), increasing THEFTS of the relevant portions of the incomes of entities by the state, increasing interest rates (again) or the cost of credit, et al, thus, the spending capacity of the average man/woman in buying such consumption gods and services would be drastically reduced. So, therefore, what this teacher of economics – one of the worst and most barbarous sets of ideologies ever invented by mankind – might also scandalously be advocating is that this objective and the methods that may be contemplated by him for achieving such – are really what are needed to make the poor poorer and the middle classes more traumatised, since no attempts should be made to reduce the investment goods/expenditures of merchants, intermediate goods/expenditures of the industrialists/agriculturalists, hardly those of the government, and to prevent the said big and medium sized merchants – who are also in collusion with the money stealing government – from importing and passing on this so-called inflation to the masses and middle classes. For him, it seems that to really try to reduce general situation: the cost of living, would be to irritate big merchants/industrialists/agriculturalists in Barbados, principally. So, for him, fuel, light, land, housing and transportation costs – among other costs that are helping to seriously push up the local cost of living – including the cost of food – – must continue to skyrocket further and further, again, to the total advantage of those persons and their entities and to the absolute disadvantage of the masses and middle classes in Barbados. Hey, but, still dont interfere with the process of imposing these increasing costs on the vulnerable as that to do so would be the wrong approach!!??. What colossal ignorance!!

    If Dr. Howard is possibly thinking that the answer to the contrived problem of our so-called importing too much food from overseas is simply a very fallacious one that is provided by so many people in the country, which is this, to simply grow more local food – yes, growing food here for local consumption is great – then such is all the more ludicrous when much of this same food can be bought in some places overseas at cheaper prices – and can be got in greater supplies – than you get here. So, get it right, you old Dr. Howard there is NO question about excessive food and many other imports being a national problem !! Also, what we in the PDC wish for you to do is to speak out publicly and strongly about the local culprits that are staggeringly increasing food and other consumer goods and services costs to the local final consumers, first, before you can begin to convince ourselves and many other people in Barbados about some of these things that you are purportedly writing about. Anyhow, if, Dr. Howard, you fail to do the latter, it might mean that you are the true economist!! A very enshrouded, programmed agent that has long been used by the global euro-centric system to help oppress the masses and middle classes in particular parts of the world. To demonstrate how backward and useless your view is that the government’s focus should be on trying to reduce the excessive demand for consumption goods, rather than reducing the cost of living: quite recently in 2005, the then Arthur Administration four times increased interest rates on minimum deposits and introduced the cess to attempt to slow rapidly increasing imports – a major source of general consumption goods and services — and in order to slow an increasingly huge import bill – a major function of import demand – and stem much foreign exchange leakage. But, you know what, in the end such measures had starkly failed to reverse the increasing trend in importation of goods and services and foreign exchange leakage. You know what, too, Dr. Howard, many persons in Barbados were also quite rightly at the time stating that the increases in interests rates and the cess would have helped led to the skyrocketing cost of living in Barbados in 2006 and 2007. So, hear us out, neh, so much for this warped idea about focussing on the economc management of the country!!

    PDC

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11. 

    bussa

    May 16, 2008 at 6:10 am

    
    

    hey bush tea how many of our leaders passed for H.C

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12. 

    georgeofstgeorge

    May 16, 2008 at 7:29 am

    
    

    Before deciding to scrap a well-established system decision-makers would be well advised to insure that what they intend to replace it is something that represents a reasonable facsimile of a”working” model rather than a wuk-up model. Having said that let me also say that I abhor the ab hominem manner in which Peter Wickham has been castigated by BT.

    As a former senior adviser to governments, I take extreme umbrage at the comment that:
    ” It seems that we have reached a stage where idiots are highly valued in national decision making.” After more than 45 years of national and international public service I have concluded that even so-called “idiots” have a role to play in making this poor benighted Rock a better place on which to perch (yes, there should be room for even the political cormorants [phalacrocorax carbo politicus] whose guano can be put to good use).

    BTW, David, why do you permit PDC to post lengthy off-point nonsense, like the piece in which they have excoriated Prof. Michael Howard, who should be encouraged to contribute more of his wisdom?

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13. 

    Yardbroom

    May 16, 2008 at 8:51 am

    
    

    If the 11 plus is abolished, with what should it be replaced and would the new system be an improvement on what presently exist?

    The education of our children is too serious a matter, to be left to those who seek glory and self aggrandizement. Too many major decisions have been taken of late -it seems – on the back of a cigarette packet, often with self interest to the fore, this should not be the case with the education of our young people.

    In continuous assessment it does allow a gradual accumulation of information over time, without the stress of a given exam at a fixed point in time. However it is important to get the balance right, as to what percentage of the total marks are from continuous assessment and a final exam.

    In continuous assessment some systems are open to outside interference; in that children from households that are well off financially and whose parents have a professional or academic background can, and often help their children with homework often included in their assessment portfolio, an advantage not available to “some poorer “households.

    Ther is also the influence teachers can have on continuous assessment, in that overly subjective marks can be given to pupils whom they deem are better, based on background, class, parents position in society etc… a final exam cancels out to some degree that kind of bias… this is not to disparage teachers they are human beings.

    The idea of zoning in Barbados fills me with dread, the zones with the best schools, will be those whose boundaries include the most privileged in our society, the others will be for the majority. I wish that would not be the case but Barbados is Barbados and what happens in other areas in our society will not suddenly disappear because of an education system.

    We must, what ever decision is made, make the playind field as level as possible, because education gives to the poorer families in our society a measure of hope for the future and it is from those ranks which will ultimately come leaders with the “hard experience” of life which will give them the determination to turn around practices which are prevalent in our society, and have been for a long time.

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14. 

    Anonymous

    May 16, 2008 at 9:41 am

    
    

    So for the sake of combating elitism we will sacrifiec the 2000 for the sake of empowering 120 to HC. That is hilarious and sad simultaneously.

    Education in the whole spectrum of schools in Barbados must be upgraded. There are new curricula at large and Bush Tea displays scant knowledge.

    When a writer to refers to themself in the third person it indicates delusions of grandeur.

    The truth is you cannot control Wickham, can you?

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15. 

    Hindssight

    May 16, 2008 at 10:23 am

    
    

    Anonymous // May 16, 2008 at 9:41 am

    When a writer to refers to themself in the third person it indicates delusions of grandeur.

    The truth is you cannot control Wickham, can you?
    =================================

    I just love it when people attempt to win arguments by reference to others language and grammar use.

    …Yes Bush Tea likes to use the third person singular “Himself” by using his name Bush Tea, So does Peter Wickham, who’s many articles are peppered with “THIS WRITER”,… in obvious reference to “Himself”. Both have “He” as the subject.
    ….that both are accused of having delusion of grandeur is funny, but on close inspection Bush Tea’s accusation has more merit than Anon’s of Bush Tea’s. 😀

    ….Peter Wickham is a socialist and the last i heard socialism has not brought us any real lasting change or progress to the challenges we face.

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16. 

    Banned Again From VOB and BFP

    May 16, 2008 at 10:47 am

    
    

    The People’s Democratic Congress
    Like so many others write too much. I like opinions but caThe People’s Democratic Congress
    Like so many others on this site you write too much. I like opinions but can’t you keep them to less than 300 words. Some of you guys are tedious. Shight man… too much info. Talk about delusions of grandeur.

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17. 

    Hindssight

    May 16, 2008 at 10:55 am

    
    

    Banned Again From VOB and BFP // May 16, 2008 at 10:47 am

    The People’s Democratic Congress
    Like so many others write too much. I like opinions but caThe People’s Democratic Congress
    Like so many others on this site you write too much. I like opinions but can’t you keep them to less than 300 words. Some of you guys are tedious. Shight man… too much info. Talk about delusions of grandeur.
    =================================

    Why does PDC have to conform to your wish?
    Just ignore those things that you cannot bring yourself to read. It is for PDC to figure out why they are not being heard, if indeed that is the case. 😀

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18. 

    John

    May 16, 2008 at 11:03 am

    
    

    I sat the screening test and 11 plus.

    Did well too, went to HC.

    The only way I know I did well, apart from going to HC, was that one morning out of the blue I got called up in Hall along with perhaps six other boys in my first term there to receive a prize!!

    At 10 years old an unexpected surprise like that can be fatal.

    Yet, I had that privelege.

    In those days, there probably were not many public primary schools. I was a product of a private primary school.

    That was a privelege too.

    So I went to HC where I never saw any written school rules but operated on the premise that “a breach of common sense is a breach of the school rules”.

    It was hard sometimes and the easiest way through was to err on the side of caution.

    Funny thing was everybody seemed to operate on this premise as well. The first and only blood I saw shed was in fifth form.

    The order and control when I think back was amazing, yet, there was room for boys to be different too.

    There were floggings but still it appeared almost everyone operated on one principle which I struggled to figure out on a daily basis until the day I left.

    To even speak the words “yuh mer” was a flogging offence, no explanations could mitigate the sentence. You simply did not do or say anything that could be remotely assumed to impugn the character of another boy’s mother.

    I feel that there is a place for priveleged schools in any country but that with the privelege must go the expectation that the receiver of the privelege MUST give back of the benefits that flow from receiving that privelege.

    This expectation cannot be written down without infringing on “human rights” but MUST flow from the innards of the person who went through the system and received the privelege.

    This only happens when the school and home environment operate in such a way as to reinforce one another.

    I would be extreme and say that if there was only one dollar more to spend on schools, that it should go to a priveleged school, ONCE the principle of “to whom much is given, much is expected” is alive and well.

    If that principle is obviously not in operation, then split the dollar equally among all schools.

    Make all equal.

    By all means look for a method which makes it fair for all children entering secondary school, but if we don’t find a method of making it second nature for at least some children who receive the privelege of a free secondary education to want to give back to their country we are wasting money providing free secondary education.

    Home and school must work together!!

    The alternative to this is lowered expectations and poorer life skills.

    No matter how good or how many, grades and certificates cannot replace these.

    The best we get out of such a system is mere functionaries who can operate a calculator and who have no vision.

    … but all will be equal!!

    Is this really what we want?

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19. 

    notesfromthemargin

    May 16, 2008 at 11:15 am

    
    

    One of the issues with the 11+ is not so much how it serves the bright kids, but what happens with the ones who do not do well. Currently the system allocates them to secondary schools, even though their results in the 11+ would indicate that they have not mastered the most basic concepts that they will need to progress at the secondary level.

    There is a need to look not so much at the HC’s of this world but at the system which does not have a “fail” mark per se.

    The case of a child getting 20% in the exam should be investigated. Does the child have a physical disability? A learning disability? Have they just not mastered the concepts? Did they have exam stress? Were they ill? The current system asks none of those questions, so we shuttle kids through the system when we have information that they CAN’T cope with a secondary education and have BASIC issues that need to be addressed before they go forward.

    Rather than trying to “equalise” the HC’s of this world we need to focus on the individual children and recognise that one size does NOT fit all.

    Marginal.

    Hi Marginal

    Good to see that you are still active 🙂

    BU

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20. 

    John

    May 16, 2008 at 11:53 am

    
    

    Education is about continuously setting examinations for yourself on any topic in life.

    Everytime you take those examinations you improve your education.

    Passing someone else’s exam on one very limited topic is only practice in the learning experience of life.

    What you do after confirms whether you have education ….. or just learning.

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21. 

    me

    May 16, 2008 at 12:19 pm

    
    

    agreed… we sit exams in one way or another throughout life so the idea of sitting exams at 11 is just par for the course.

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22. 

    Bush tea

    May 16, 2008 at 1:05 pm

    
    

    georgeofstgeorge

    “….I abhor the ab hominem manner in which Peter Wickham has been castigated by BT.”
    ****************************************
    georgeX2, I take note of your abhorrence. I also plead guilty with explanation

    First, I happen to know that Mr. Wickham can take as well as he can give…

    Second, I do not know if you follow Mr. Wickham’s public positions in arguing his various positions, but I can assure you that my robust approach to dealing with him is a simple case of fighting fire with fire…

    …. besides I don’t like foolishness.

    By the way georgeX2, those are some big words that you tossed out in that short piece… you sent Bush tea to the dictionary….
    …If you persist along that line you yourself may be subjected to a Bush war of words.

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23. 

    peltdownman

    May 16, 2008 at 1:39 pm

    
    

    PDC
    You really have runaway fingers. Apart from writing utter rubbish, you contradict yourself over and over again. Why don’t you try writing it as a draft whilst the blood is rushing, leave it for an hour and read it again? Even you would be surprised literally by the the completely nonsensical arguments and ideas that are contained therein.

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24. 

    Rene

    May 16, 2008 at 1:40 pm

    
    

    The 11+ needs to go and a new system put in its place to deal with the placement of students. I’m for zoning but most people here fail to look at the zoning option because they my have gone to school like HC, QC etc etc and would like for their kids to do the same and not only people from town. Before this step is made work would have to be done to put all secondary school compounds and staff on the same footing for it to work and student don’t end up disadvantage. Some new schools may even have to be built for this to work effectively. Zoning could also help some what with our traffic woes and even help with cutting down on the cost it takes to commute to school.

    If I had a say to make a change to the present system this is what I would do.

    From 11 you move to a school in your zone.

    Have advance classes and remedial classes in pacific subject areas for student in both the primary and secondary school system.

    I would have 4 six form schools that students transfer to at the fourth level once they attain the entrance requirements for these schools. These 4 schools would each specializes in certain subject areas. 1. Sciences, 2. Languages & Arts, 3. Business, 4. Technical & Agriculture. Students that don’t meet the requirements will continue till fifth form at there zone secondary school still cover the range of subjects sat under the CXC curriculum. Students that continue on in the zone secondary schools will have the opportunity to do six form at BCC once they graduate secondary school.

    Introduction of a standard high school diploma that has to be sat by all 5 form students to graduate secondary school. This will either take the form of having to successfully pass the minimum of 4/5 CXC subject or the introduction to a GPA system to obtain your diploma. Students will start working towards this from fourth form by starting to sit CXC exams where possible or taking exams the go towards their GPA. Schools will either have an upper fifth for those students that may need time to do CXC, may it be that they return to sit over subjects or need extra time to prepare. Maybe a special fifth form school could be set up for this if the numbers demand it

    With the 11+ gone focuses on only English & Math in the primary level can now boarding to include Foreign Languages, Art & Music, Sciences, and PE so students entering into the secondary level have a basic knowledge of these subject areas.

    I would like to see a system with students, parents, teachers, and guidance consolers work together on subject choices, working out career paths and what options work best for the students involved. At present we have too many kids leaving secondary school with nothing and that equals no future we need to change that.

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25. 

    John

    May 16, 2008 at 2:43 pm

    
    

    Rene // May 16, 2008 at 1:40 pm

    At present we have too many kids leaving secondary school with nothing and that equals no future we need to change that.
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    No certificates does not equate with nothing nor does it mean no future.

    It simply demonstrates that you can take a horse to water but you cannot make the horse drink.

    There are some students who cannot and will not get certificates.

    What we need to be able to do is to find a path for them to follow which leads to a productive life where they become meaningful contributors to their country.

    The lack of future of which you speak also applies to those who leave school with certificates.

    How many hungry lawyers are there in Barbados?

    Both sets of students have problems after leaving school because we are not producing the people with vision to create the jobs to employ others to work.

    What is worse, we have allowed learning to denigrate certain jobs which an educated people should know are vital to their survival.

    These are two of the basic flaws in our education/learning system.

    That is also why we are selling off our land.

    We have alot of learned people but very few educated ones.

    Eleven plus is the least of our problems.

    When we begin to appreciate the difference between education and learning we will begin to find solutions for our children.

    “Children go to school and learn well, otherwise later on in life you will get real hell” still remains valid, but notice Sparrow uses the word learn.

    He also speaks to Education in the calypso.

    “There is no room in this whole wide world, for an uneducated little boy or girl, …. without an education in your head, your whole life is miserable you better off dead”

    He ends with the refrain “To earn tomorrow you got to learn today”.

    It is easy to confuse learning and education.

    You get an education through learning but because you have learnt something does not mean you have an education.

    If Sparrow knows, we know!!

    We just need to stop and think for a moment and get our priorities right.

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26. 

    ROBOT

    May 16, 2008 at 2:46 pm

    
    

    pee- ter wick- ham is right about the 11 plus

    i agree with pee-ter wick–ham

    11 plus should be abolished because it’s origin

    is
    racist
    elitist
    divisive
    discriminatory

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27. 

    ROBOT

    May 16, 2008 at 3:30 pm

    
    

    john ! yuh talking rubbish
    ——————————-
    bush tea ! you are right /correct

    he can give and take as well as he can give and take

    his positions in public and his public positions
    are fairly well-known
    ———————————
    I agree with

    pee– ter wick—-ham
    again

    when he said just let the children go to secondary school as they do to primary school
    simple
    and i agree with him totally

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28. 

    Real Ting

    May 16, 2008 at 4:09 pm

    
    

    It is madness and complete ignorance to suggest that the 11 plus should be scrapped because it is so negative and THEN search for a method to replace it? that is a recipe for disaster.

    Zoning in primary schools is not all that effective . check how crowded some town schools are and the machinations that some big shots pull to get their kids in. What will make the secondary school zoning system any different?

    All secondary schools cannot be of the same quality . that is a given. in the real world their will be inadequate teachers and administrators and thus those schools will not be as good as others. Invariably those schools will be the country schools and that will leave the children who attend them marginalized but with no option to legitamately progress.

    Let those who want to abolish the 11 plus prove that they can bring all secondary schools into a narrow range of performance before they think of zoning.

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29. 

    me

    May 16, 2008 at 4:22 pm

    
    

    But the issue of performance of the school is not the only issue. Barbados societywould have to cchange and CHANGE greatly for full zoning to ever work.

    Just recently Mr Melnick a wealthy ( billionaire) Canadian Expat opened a private and quite exclusive primary school in st George called Providence because he was unsatisfied with the private Codrington school and didnt care much for St Winifreds. The Tuition is rumoured to be 2500US a term but the children get to learn golf , dressage , ballet what have you.. All of a sudden the upper class and middle class white and black an indian are clamouring to move their children from St winis , St Cyps, St Gabs an the Convent to snd them to providnce.

    Do we really think that if HC , QC , Cawmere, St Michaels, Lodge , etc become fully zoned that these people will allow their offspring to go to thses schools? Expect to see a few Presentation Colleges appearing in short order and with that movement of the best teachers to these private schools. So in the end the we would have Jamaica!

    The common entrance exam should ne tinkered with allwoing for more assessment of the childs ability in a wider range of subjects BUT the essence of the exam should remain!

    Unless Barbados becomes a socialist country

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30. 

    Pat

    May 16, 2008 at 6:01 pm

    
    

    I think Barbados and Bajans put too much emphasis on one exam at 11 years old. It is an archaic system and children should stay in elementary/middle school until 14, moving on to high school after. They should be going to the school closest to their homes. If all the teachers in Barbados were well qualified and had teaching skillls, it would n ot matter what shcool a kid went to.

    Enrichment/gifted classes could be set us for exceptional children where they spent about two hours a week on advanced or general interest subjects.

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31. 

    David

    May 16, 2008 at 6:29 pm

    
    

    Georgeofstgeorge the beauty of the blog is that all people are able to express themselves. If you feel that a comment can be rebutted in the interest of enlightening the BU family please do so.

    We reiterate the point that Barbadians should expect better from Wickham whose line of business requires that he supports his conclusions with scientific analysis. We heard the point made today on the call in show and he became ultra defensive. His defense was to refer to his first year research papers when he was at UWI 🙂

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32. 

    me

    May 16, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    
    

    I laughed out loud when I heard his reaction to being challenged on statistics… He is o out on a limb here. Where is the evidence of this so called traumatization ? Where is the direct link ( illustrated by statistics that increasing crime and incaceration is directly related to passing for a newer secondary school instead of the older ones?

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33. 

    Bush tea

    May 16, 2008 at 10:16 pm

    
    

    The 11 plus is one of the things that we do well in Barbados. It does not surprise me that there is a concerted effort to destroy it. I well recall the arguments used to introduce co-education.

    Because of the 11-Plus, EVERY BAJAN knows that his or her child has as FAIR a chance of going to the school of their choice, as does the Prime Ministers girls…. depending ONLY on their academic aptitude.

    …trust me, that is worth A LOT.

    I wish to note however that ever since CXC came on board, the results of this exam now takes a long time to finalize.

    I seem to recall previously, the results being produced on the very night of the exams. Maybe I just don’t trust people as I should, …but frankly – I don’t.

    Why exactly does it take so long now?
    ************************

    Can someone please tell Peter Wickham and his fellow ‘Non HC grads’ that while it IS true that a weak student who gets to sit in class with stronger ones may benefit from the experience, the strong student condemned to sit in class with distracted, weak and ofter (as a result) ill disciplined children NEVER reaches their full potential.

    THE COUNTRY IS THEN THE POORER FOR THE LOSS OF THAT POTENTIAL LEADER / EMPLOYER / PROBLEM SOLVER.

    His approach would therefore give us more ‘Peter Wickhams’ at the expense of ‘Errol Barrows’ and ‘Tom Adams’….

    ….good deal?

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34. 

    Gabriel the Horn Blower

    May 16, 2008 at 11:39 pm

    
    

    BT writes

    “while it IS true that a weak student who gets to sit in class with stronger ones may benefit from the experience….”

    This is speculative and I am yet to see empirical data that supports this contention. A weak student remains a weak student IF NOTHING is done to address the REAL problems INHERENT to such a student.

    The data shows that in any event for Barbados these “stronger’ students are in such a small minority that even if we could identify them (for all subjects) and then distribute them evenly throughout all the schools, most classes would still not have any so called “stronger” students.

    I couldn’t care less for maintaining HC or QC or whatever. What I do care about is that my child who is struggling (and I do have at least one such child), gets real help so as to attain adequate levels of cognitive and affective development ALONG WITH SKILL TRAINING so that he can be a happy, productive and self-motivated member of this society. In fact it is suspected that there are many HC/QC graduates that are drifting aimlessly in their adult lives after attaining only mediocre academic results (a BSc/ BA is not of itself an outstanding achievement especially if one cannot gain employment with it).

    Removing the 11+ is not a panacea for the issues in schooling and the more important objective of human resource development.

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35. 

    John

    May 16, 2008 at 11:53 pm

    
    

    I think I saw something on the internet recently where a Kindergarden in the US was testing for IQ and only those children with high enough IQs got to go.

    There was a video on the site with children being taught foreign languages in kindergarden.

    I could not find the link but here is an example of a site which offers an IQ test to parents of children 4 and up.

    http://www.kids-iq-tests.com/

    The simple fact is that any first world country worth its salt has schools or programs for gifted children!!

    Of course there is a down side but since they exist in these first world countries, it is clear the pros outweigh the cons.

    If we have delusions of first world grandeur why would we want to be any different in Barbados?

    The simple fact is that the world is a tough place and to compete we need to perform at the level at which everybody else perfoms.

    Should the state sponsor schools for gifted children or should the sponsorship be only through the private sector?

    I think there needs to be a school where higher than average expectations are placed on children who have it in them to perform and I think it should be sponsored by the state.

    Somebody in a Barbados that we have watched become shoddy and nothing special needs to be shooting for the stars and not the treetops.

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36. 

    John

    May 16, 2008 at 11:59 pm

    
    

    Has anyone heard the term gifted children used about any of our children in Barbados?

    If no, is this because the term is:

    a) racist
    b) elitist
    c) divisive
    d) discriminatory
    e) None of the above (Please specify)

    If yes, please give examples!!

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37. 

    Anonymous

    May 17, 2008 at 12:26 am

    
    

    I agree with John. Yet the other 2000 who are not yet gifted enough, or have not had their gift discovered, to get to HC (at that particular point in time) must be provided for in such a way as to be empowered. And not just marginally so; nor as an afterthought. That is not good enough for Barbados, which is why we should look at other systems besides the 11 plus. One is not so high and mighty as to be incorrect sometimes, neither Mr. T nor Mr. W.

    Mr. T co-blogged subjects- education, highways, prisons and more. Many take exception to someone pointing out in an education forum that a former govt was dishonest, while simultaneously the new one does not honour its promises. What does this have to do with education?

    One may take a top percentile and teach them: that they have no need to honour a promise, have no need for integrity, have no need to honour a comittment?

    We 2000 as yyet unempowered, undiscovered, will watch and pray that he top percentile will fulfill what it said it would do, its promise. The 2000 have less cash, but the 2000 can exercise the one thing it has- a vote. It is important to remember that the 2000 lower percentile voted for this smaller percentile. So, it’s time to fulfill the promise.

    When Mr. Wickham and others start to call the gifted on subjects that parallel the highway and prison losses referred to, like the so-called ‘ITAL’ and the agriculture, the gifted percentile won’t be talking education any more with Mr. Wickham?

    Why not simply teach our gifted children to do the right thing and to fulfill their honourable committments? In fact why not show us all the right path that honest men and women follow?

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38. 

    John

    May 17, 2008 at 12:36 am

    
    

    Gabriel the Horn Blower // May 16, 2008 at 11:39 pm

    The data shows that in any event for Barbados these “stronger’ students are in such a small minority that even if we could identify them (for all subjects) and then distribute them evenly throughout all the schools, most classes would still not have any so called “stronger” students.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    I think that if expectations are lifted and children see that attention is given to sound academic performance that a so called weak student will suddenly become not so weak.

    Of course problems need to be addressed individually, but don’t dismiss the “stronger” (gifted) students when addressing problems on an individual basis.

    Deal with both and I think that the overall level will be lifted.

    More effort will need to be expended on the weaker ones but give the gifted ones every chance to shine because they can lift up the weaker ones easier than an older person can.

    Make all feel it is cool to be gifted and watch them explode, gifted and weak. I have watched it work already. The feeling is magic.

    … in the end however, we need to provide employment for school leavers and this is the acid test.

    Here is where we fall down too and it has nothing to do with the children, it is our fault, our responsibility.

    I say:

    Expect more and you will get it.

    Expect nothing and you won’t be disappointed.

    If everybody is moaning and saying “the children nowadays have too many distractions” then stop saying it and set about reducing those distractions, one by one.

    See what happens.

    I think it is criminal to impose our lack of expectations on our children.

    Let them learn to strive for excellence and shine through their own efforts.

    Expect them to shine and they will do their utmost to shine. That is what children do naturally.

    Some won’t shine so bright but appreciate the effort, celebrate it with them.

    Everybody is a winner.

    … then there is the employment issue, but it is ours to deal with and worry about, it should not stop a child from trying.

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39. 

    GtHB

    May 17, 2008 at 3:06 am

    
    

    John

    All these vapid cliches about expectation is tiresome. Try this cliche – SUCCESS IS ENGINEERED.

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40. 

    dogniteyah

    May 17, 2008 at 3:52 am

    
    

    Wickham already does enough damage pushing his gay agenda via the airwaves. His warp religious beliefs also stem from his position on homos. He says he doesn/t eat meat but a sausage or two would do. Then he compares flogging a child with capital punishment which he is against. If as he says flogging makes children more violent then over 200K living in Barbados should be killing and fighting each other with weapons daily because all of us were flogged many times and I am not violent. The liberals control the airwaves, they get more hours at primetime to poison weak minds. I wish more conservative persons were given a chance to counter such views on the same radio stations without being cutoff. Trust me! Too much liberalism will kill this sweet rock we call Barbados. Just keep chipping the edges.No surrender!

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41. 

    David

    May 17, 2008 at 6:07 am

    
    

    Peter Wickham has a right to voice his opinion. But he has to recognize that VOB according to all reports has a large listening audience and therefore he needs to be measured in his comments because as host of the show he becomes an opinion shaper.

    The fact of the matter is that we are all sharing opinions on the pros and cons of the 11 plus and sadly after all these the years there is no researched body of work which can guide public discussion. Instead every year like clock work at the completion of the exam this debate reemerges about the exam.

    Barbadians are suppose to be an educated people yet we perennially attack this discussion based on emotion and political expediency.

    To Minister Jones let us resolve before your advisory body makes changes based on OPINIONS please call the stakeholders together and identify measures which we feel are the key indicators within our education system and build the results over the next 3-5 years.

    Frankly we are tired with the agenda ladened discussions which we continue to have. Our children don’t deserve it.

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42. 

    Adrian Hinds

    May 17, 2008 at 6:35 am

    
    

    Equally every year around this time i usually feel compel to pull out an old article by John Blackman titled “The Greats of St.Leonards” to make the same point. The 11 plus and school placement did not deter, damage, or deny the following men.

    Gordon Alleyne, managing director, Federal Motor Spares, Philip Blackman, principal nursing officer, Geriatric Hospital, Sylvanus Blackman, Barbados, British and British Empire/Commonwealth weightlifting champion, competed at 3 Olympics (Tokyo, Rome, Mexico), Oliver Brome (Lord Radio), Dean William Dixon, Keith Jones, funeral director, Clifford Mayers, assistant general secretary, Barbados Workers Union, Colonel Deighton Maynard, Commanding Officer, Barbados Defence Force, Carl Mullins, cricketer, Keith Padmore, Permanent Secretary, Milton Pierce, attorney-at-law, Lt.Col. Quintyne, Defence Force, Robert Quintyne, agriculturalist, George Small, commissioner of Inland Revenue, David Trotman, surveyor, and the legendary Sir Everton Weekes. Bruce Alleyne, project manager, Education, Dr. Christopher Atherley, conductor, Police Band, H. Cobham, area manager, C.I.B.C., Jeffrey Hoyte, managing director, Antiseptics Ltd., Terrific Tiles, Tropical Laundry, Alan Jones, Permanent Secretary, Cherry Jose, managing director, Jose & Jose, the Hon. Rommel Marshall, Minister of Communications and Works, Neville Rowe, managing director, Julie ’N Supermarkets, Erville Spencer, financial advisor, Wall Street, Michael St. Clair, director CLICO, Edwin Worrell of Budg Buy, Drs. Randolph Drakes, Peter Grimes, Mohammed Nagdee, and Dwayne Wharton, Q.E.H., Carlisle Greaves and Donville Hope attorneys-at-law, and John Blackman himself former principal of the Deighton Griffith Secondary School.

    The 11 plus and school placement has not detered the young crop of Doctors, lawyers, and a former Senator, all Leonardians.

    I do understand the perception which is probably at core to Peter Wickhams position on the 11 plus and school placement, but that perception can be changed by making known the great work and accomplishments of graduates of the newer Secondary schools.

    WE ALL MUST KNOW THAT A GRADUATE OF ST.LEONARDS BOYS IS NOW THE PRINCIPLE OF HARRISON COLLEGE! ….well tell bajans and start breaking the perception of High Schools as Colleges and Universities when they are not. 😀

    My mother sent me down at Richmonds where i sat in body for several years and about a week in spirit. 😀 I was out of depth and could not compete with those names afore mentioned.

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43. 

    georgeofstgeorge

    May 17, 2008 at 7:35 am

    
    

    By the way georgeX2, those are some big words that you tossed out in that short piece… you sent Bush tea to the dictionary….
    …If you persist along that line you yourself may be subjected to a Bush war of words.
    **********************************************
    BT:

    I hope that the exercise was good for brain and brawn. As I said at another time and place, we need to bring down the cost of operating the Drug Service.

    I agree that PW can defend himself, not only against all comers, but goers as well, particularly those at sixes and sevens, and those who continue to take a six for a nine. So keep knocking down your ninepins but please don’t have them with me!

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44. 

    John

    May 17, 2008 at 9:39 am

    
    

    GtHB // May 17, 2008 at 3:06 am

    John

    All these vapid cliches about expectation is tiresome. Try this cliche – SUCCESS IS ENGINEERED.
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    That works too.

    Any of us can engineer the success of a child at school if we take the time to listen and encourage.

    The child will deliver.

    That’s what children do naturally …… particularly if learning about the responsibility part of life occurs before the options and freedom part.

    There are very few young people who choose to study who cannot get through school or university, but there are some who try as they might will have difficulties.

    This is a tiny minority.

    There are also those who when faced with the options and freedoms of life, make choices which make it more difficult for themselves, but not impossible because the option to get back on track is always open.

    The reason most young people can be successful is because nothing which they are taught is new and thousands upon thousands (millions) of others all over the world have faced the material before and triumphed.

    It is only at graduate level that anything new is attempted.

    If a person successfully gets there, success at that level is very likely too.

    Most people just blunder through the system but I agree that success in studying can also be engineered through pragmatically assessing the requirements and ensuring they are met, one by one.

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45. 

    Peter W. Wickham

    May 17, 2008 at 10:09 am

    
    

    Bush Tea says “THE COUNTRY IS THEN THE POORER FOR THE LOSS OF THAT POTENTIAL LEADER / EMPLOYER / PROBLEM SOLVER.

    His approach would therefore give us more ‘Peter Wickhams’ at the expense of ‘Errol Barrows’ and ‘Tom Adams’….”

    Foundation = Peter Wickham + Bree St John, HC = Dipper, Tom.. and of course Bush Tea. I guess this means all schools will have their good and bad days!

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46. 

    Bush tea

    May 17, 2008 at 11:32 am

    
    

    Peter W. Wickham

    “Foundation = Peter Wickham + Bree St John, HC = Dipper, Tom.. and of course Bush Tea. I guess this means all schools will have their good and bad days!”
    *****************************************

    Strong point PWW.
    I do apologise for Barrow and Adams. But realistically, not everyone can expect to be at the level of Bush tea…. 🙂

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47. 

    Anonymous

    May 17, 2008 at 11:50 am

    
    

    Bush Tea went to HC? Didn’t he write in the initial post:

    “…., Bush tea (who also did not go to HC) is more than willing to offer suggestions” ?

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48. 

    Bush tea

    May 17, 2008 at 12:03 pm

    
    

    …. Don’t bother with such details Anonymous, PWW is usually wrong anyway…..

    Bush tea could never have gone to HC… not when the very best school in the whole world was right here in Bim…

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49. 

    David

    May 17, 2008 at 12:08 pm

    
    

    Peter we are surprised at the concise nature of your last comment. It is not consistent with the loquacity which you have become synonymous on the airwaves, which you have been using to telling effect to propagate your various agendas.

    Having said what we said, we commend you on your interventions although infrequent from time to time. We know that you are capable of robust debate because in this forum there is no place for delicate sensibilities.

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50. 

    Yardbroom

    May 17, 2008 at 12:39 pm

    
    

    Education at school can be defined in many ways. If in this case we take it to mean, “the gradual process of acquiring knowledge.” It can be taken, that the purpose of obtaining knowledge is a preparation for life.

    Education has to meet not only indivudial but society’s needs and within it must be flexibility. That flexibility should accommodate the very able, bordering on genius and the less gifted.

    Our education system in catering for the academically gifted…and all systems should, must never give an impression that the less able are not highly valued.

    The value a society places on the end product of its educational system. Determines the paths and placements students pursue.

    Why is it that less than six professions are highly sought after in Barbados? The simple reason is they bring the highest financial rewards and perhaps most important, a high level of social acceptance.

    We must change our “mind set”, in what we believe are socially acceptable ways of earning a living for the educated. With that change, will come better financial renumeration for those who are now perceived; as not being in the top echelon.

    Those not able to achieve grades to reach the perceived top professions, will not see themselves as failures. With social acceptance of what they do; will come opportunities to attain a good standard of living, with no loss of self esteem.

    It matters little which system is chosen. If “our society” finds itself unable to reward satisfactorily those who have attained the highest academic standard of which they are capable.

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