Education, Love and Compassion

I was heartened to read what Calixte George wrote about me in the alumni pen-portraits in his recent book St. Mary’s College. I was somewhat taken aback by a friend of the author, who was disgruntled because he expected Calixte to have written more than a half-page about him. That incident persuaded me to re-examine the reason I care so little what people think, say, or write about me. The love and compassion that has driven my public avocations is derived from a deep sense of inward peace—a blessing. It compels me to write and speak truthfully, pausing only to avoid senseless hurt. These qualities are not of my making. They are gifts! I believe that a man once lived called Jesus Christ, whose love and compassion for the less fortunate set an example for others. Those who profess to serve people, in whatever field, follow his example by deeds, not by words. I confess that the concept of God is beyond my comprehension; not so that of Christ. I try to keep my relations with others knowing that no deed is small when done for Christ, regardless of where providence may have taken the recipient. My visit to Israel in 1998 merely helped strengthen my bond with him. Having disposed of this brief self-portrait, I wish to use the same love and compassion to make a humble plea to the people responsible for the education of the children of Saint Lucia to carry out a thorough investigation into the reason some children performed so poorly in the recent Common Entrance Examinations. I apologize if what I have suggested is already planned and in motion. I also wish to suggest that the results of any investigation ought to be widely circulated, rendering the education of the nation’s children a collective responsibility.  

I should add that any child who received an average mark of 25% or less in these examinations should be selected for closer medical study and analysis. Yes, 25% is arbitrary, but we need to set a marker and 25% is only a suggestion. Let me be clear, I am making no judgment or predictions about why some children performed so poorly in the same examinations in which others received marks of 90% or more, and where the mean score was in the 60-plus percentile. Neither do I suggest that the best performers at Common Entrance should not be praised and feted by family, friends and teachers as they prepare to enter secondary school. These better performers have brought joy and satisfaction to their teachers, parents and guardians and deserve to be rewarded. My love and compassion for the underdog, which drove my early voluntary role of educating the masses of Saint Lucia as a member of the St. Lucia Forum, is the same that now propels me to encourage education authorities to search out failed performers needing assistance. Too often, the ignorant and the misinformed are the first to raise their voices when things go awry. How many take the time to ask what is going on in a child’s head as he or she sits the Common Entrance Examinations?  

We need to remind ourselves that the human brain is what determines how a person perceives and reacts to his or her environment. The brain controls the sense of sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Sometimes we speak loosely about children falling through the cracks, but what remedies are there to direct their thinking in a way that will avert the so-called cracks in the society? Why do some children misinterpret the ideas that are communicated to them at home and school? Is it due to undetected brain damage or what some call learning disability?

A learning disability in a child may be beyond some families. It bears repeating that the miserable performance of some students at the last Common Entrance Examinations must be seen as a problem of the society. We therefore need to be clear-eyed about finding solutions. We may need to channel children from a very early age into areas that excite them and in which they have displayed a propensity to learn. I once heard Sir Arthur Lewis at a UWI graduation ceremony telling his audience that primary education is the most important tool in preparing a child for tertiary education. Sir Arthur’s words are as relevant today.   

It may take more than love and compassion to raise a majority of our children to a better understanding of mathematics and other subjects, but we owe a duty to every child to keep trying. Any disability discovered, should be viewed as a challenge to overcome. 

It is my hope and prayer that the responsible authorities for the education of the nation’s children will be focused on discovering the reasons some children performed so poorly in these last exams. I have deliberately avoided suggesting any link between the above and crime, not wanting to detract from what we owe to those youngsters. It is my prayer that love and compassion will be shown to those who did not pass for a secondary school place.