Dennie Quill, Contributor

With numerous reasons to be cheerless these days I have been searching for something to applaud, happily, I have found it. It's 6.30 p.m. and I am stretched out on my sofa watching television, specifically TVJ's 'Junior Schools' Challenge Quiz.' During the past weeks I have been inspired by this competition which showcases some of the brightest at the primary level and it has got me thinking in superlatives.

The students are intelligent, competitive, confident and highly motivated. It is evident that they have also been well-coached. This knowledge contest challenges the students' understanding of a range of issues which run the gamut from general knowledge to mathematics.

The performances which provide a strong contrast to reports of literacy and numeracy failures in the school system tell a story that students in many rural government-run primary schools, are on par with their colleagues in private preparatory schools - which have more funds and are better equipped.

Performance indicators

Since the majority of Jamaicans evolved from the primary-school system it is heartening to see that our primary schools have sustained a school culture and curriculum conducive to student learning and development. It is a fact that pupils from elite preparatory schools disproportionately and increasingly do better than their peers in inner-city and rural primary schools. But this portrait of performance must be reversed since the majority of Jamaican children are groomed and educated in primary schools.

I am not suggesting that performance in a quiz should be the means by which we define and measure a school's progress towards its educational goals. Far from it, the experts urge the use of quantifiable measurements to reflect the school's success in preparing its students for the next stage of their development. Key performance indicators which are usually long-term considerations are accepted by educators as a powerful tool for school improvement because they provide a good basis for self-evaluation. Yet for me this is cause for celebration.

One of the great debates of our time concerns the underperformance of our boys in society. The statistics confirm that boys are lagging behind the girls and are outnumbered on our university campuses. It's not a Jamaican phenomenon. In the United States, for example, serious attempts are being made to address the educational gender gap. Segregating the sexes is one of the initiatives being tried since boys and girls learn differently. For example, the experts say boys are louder, prefer colder rooms and like the macho stuff.

Weaknesses

Before you start scoffing at that idea consider the fact that many of our girls-only and boys-only schools have long traditions of success. But back to our School's Challenge Quiz, the boys have been giving a good account of themselves and this is perhaps a small step in the right direction. I believe the representation from boys is about level with girls. My conclusion lacks the weight of serious research and is based only on my observations, but I sincerely hope this is the reality.

Judging from the answers, one detected weaknesses in mathematics and science, perhaps some generous sponsor along with TVJ may want to consider staging a mathematics and/or science competition along similar lines, maybe at a regional level. Such contests encourage children to do their best work as they expect to bask in the joys of recognition that accompanies such participation.

Of course, these youngsters are carrying along the hopes of the entire school. And a win for them affects all. In all this the parents, teachers and the school community must feel very proud as these performances reflect well on their institutions. As I have written before, children whose parents are more proactive are likely to be better performers. Parents are partners in their children's education and they should actively support such efforts.

Hats off to the teachers who have worked so hard in preparing these children for the competition. But parents don't forget that the synergy starts at home.