THE EDITOR, Sir:

There are far too many children leaving our schools, unable to read and write properly. They are floating through the school system, rolling stones gathering absolutely no moss. Many people blame the students, accusing them of being 'time-wasters' but I think the major problem is HOW the students are being taught.

What teachers and schools in general need to realise is, not all students learn the same way. Some may learn through images while others learn through sound. Some may prefer to read and make their own notes while others might not be capable of doing so correctly. It makes absolutely no sense to send a child through school without educating them. After all, what else is he/she doing there?

The schools need to take the time to get through to students. Homework is the key to success. Without homework, a child can appear to be brilliant in class but may really not have fully conquered the subject. Homework offers them the chance to transfer what they were taught from short-term to long-term memory. Basically, the repetition allows the information to remain in the student's head. (I'm a student by the way, so I should know this). They should also try to see what certain students respond to more, the not-so-great-performers especially.

I am, etc.,

DEBORAH BUCHANAN

prettyshell_7@hotmail.com

Spanish Town