THE EDITOR, Madam:
THIS IS to appeal to the Minister of Education to revise his decision to remove the title 'comprehensive' from comprehensive high schools. What is needed is significant assistance to the comprehensive high schools to achieve the glorious objective of providing excellent education for children of different abilities and skills in different fields.
The comprehensive high schools should be strong in the academic field, strong in the vocational area, powerful in the technical and scientific areas. It follows that those primary students sent to comprehensive high schools should be those seeking their areas of strength, weakness and desires. Many years ago when the concept was first introduced, I had the good fortune of attending the prize-giving of a comprehensive high school.
As we sat on the platform, a young teenager kept 'misbehaving' in the view of the principal who asked an assistant quietly to stop the "stupid young student" from misbehaving.
After the speeches, we were taken on a tour of the school. When we came to a central classroom, some beautiful sheets of cloth were displayed. One particular piece was designed and enriched by beautiful painting. We were loud in our praise. To our surprise, it was the "badly behaved" young teenager who was the very clever artist!
He had exhibited to us all how very necessary it was and is to have comprehensive high schools which can assist our young people to enrich themselves and society by discovering and developing their skills.
Is the Minister going to remove 'technical' from technical high schools? One hopes not. Let us keep the titles and give the principals and staff of comprehensive high schools much greater support in the provision of equipment, funds for teachers in the several fields, and encouragement of parents so that children of varying abilities will be honoured by being placed in comprehensive high schools.
Finally, may I thank the Minister for withdrawing the sex book which encourages homosexuality, from the schools. That most unfortunate sentence advocating sex in the "vagina or anus" should never be allowed, for the law must be respected especially when the encouragement to break it falls in line with the growth of immorality in the society. Monsignor Mock Yen must be thanked and praised for bringing the booklet to the attention of his church on Sunday, August 13. One member passed on the information to Senator Johnson, the JLP spokesman on Education, who must be praised for his excellent statement. He had gone to see Monsignor to get a copy of the booklet.
Well done, both Monsignor Mock Yen for making your people know about the booklet, and Senator Johnson for his statement which led to appropriate action by the Minister, Mr. Whiteman.
The growth of homosexuality and lesbianism in the USA may well have had an effect here. Our concern is that we should not educate our children in those fields which are not legal.
I am, etc.,
HECTOR WYNTER
Kingston 6
