THE EDITOR, Sir:
It is sad to know that school's performance is solely based on academic performance of students. Which suggests that the development of good values and attitudes can be ignored or be deemed unnecessary.
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture's mission for education is one that embraces quality education and training for all individuals in Jamaica. It also seeks to ensure that there is integration of education and cultural resources in place in a bid to optimise individual and national development. It is incumbent on the schools to ensure that student's development is not only knowledge-based but is also attitude and skills based.
Dr. Minott's analysis somewhat contradicts this mission as it reveals that schools that perform well academically are rated high. No mention or attempt was made to include in the analysis the other two domains (skills and attitudes) that are inextricably linked to knowledge. A school that should be rated highly is a school that successfully fulfils the mission of the M.O.E.Y.C. and which focuses on development of attitudes, skills and knowledge in every individual. A brilliant, indisciplined and unskilled individual is of little value to our society.
Take for example the article by a Gleaner staff reporter of the Sunday Gleaner dated May 16, 2004. where mention was made of the poor attitude of students who were applying for loans. These are students who have been "academically successful", We must be very careful in making C.X.C. passes the benchmark for measuring students' success while ignoring the other critical components of the process. The Council of Education which commissioned the study that formed the basis of Dr. Minott's analysis needs to tell the public what was their objective/s in commissioning the study and not allow others to twist the data to satisfy some other hidden agenda.
I am,etc.,
DENISE MINOTT
gminot1@ hotmail.com
