Veteran educator Yvette Browne has urged the government to establish literacy and numeracy centres across all education levels, warning that without immediate reform, many children risk being “lost within the system”.
Browne, who spent 41 years in the classroom and served as the first female principal of the Frederick Smith Secondary School, was speaking on Wednesday night at the St James Ideas Forum town hall meeting held at the school.
She reminded the audience that literacy must be understood “as a continuum of learning,” encompassing reading, writing, numeracy, digital skills, media literacy, education for sustainable development, and global citizenship.
“At the moment, we have an additional reading period; I applaud that. We’ve also had some teachers trained to use structured literacy, and I’m going to add the word numeracy programmes,” she said, noting, however, that many schools lacked basic infrastructure such as libraries or storage spaces to house books and resources.
Browne made a direct plea to Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman, who was in the audience: “We need your help to maximise the use of our resources. We would like to see, in the very near future, literacy, numeracy centres at all levels of the school population. Remember, I said literacy is a continuum of learning.”
Arguing for learning through “play, art, sound, dance, and other non-traditional ways”, Browne insisted that traditional examinations should give way to continuous assessment. “Exams are going to become a thing of the past,” she said. “Those who are thinking that we should continue with the 11-plus, you have to recognise that the world is moving forward and it is time that we get on board and prepare our students for a better life.”
She stressed the need to properly secure educational resources, recalling that in her early years at Frederick Smith, computers were dismantled after curious students removed the balls from their mice to use for pitching. “We have to secure our resources… remove those computers from the various rooms and put them into dedicated areas where someone is there to ensure their safety.”
Browne also pressed for soundproof music rooms and greater investment in creative subjects. “It is important that we look at various ways to get through to our children. If we don’t, we’re going to lose more of them because they’re going to find other activities to occupy themselves.”
She urged business leaders to support scholarships and grants for those students who remain in Barbados, not just the high achievers who go abroad. “Excellence is not ascribed; it should be earned. And if they can earn it by doing positive things, then we will have a better society.”
Browne also raised concerns about teaching materials being delayed at the port for months, and appealed for measures to ensure supplies reach classrooms on time.
In response, Blackman reiterated that the government’s goal was for all children to be able to read by age seven, while ensuring older students who have fallen behind are not left out.
He pledged to expand the role of music and cultural production in the curriculum, with soundproof rooms enabling students to produce music and beats. “What does that do? It allows for them to have the tangible real-life skills of music and sound engineering even before they leave these institutions.”
Traditional games like Warri and chess will also be formally introduced to help students develop strategic thinking and critical skills. “We must give our children a global head start once they come into our education system,” Blackman said, pointing to countries like Singapore and South Korea that have reaped long-term benefits from early chess education.
He assured the audience that curriculum reform was already underway: “You’ve clearly articulated the need for transformation, but equally all of what you’ve said is already what the ministry is actively doing and looking to do further.” (SZB)
St James Ideas Forum Key Takeaways
Reinforce measures addressing youth mental health in schools.
– There is a current lack of mental health facilities and initiatives at the primary and secondary levels.
– Train educators and school personnel in psychological first aid and similar interventions.
– Partner with youth advocacy groups such as Let’s Unpack It, which has focused on youth mental health for five years.
– Collaborate with the Psychiatric Hospital to dispel myths about mental illness.
Establish a streamlined approach for survivors of domestic violence (women and children), ensuring both justice and healing.
Development in Holetown, St James must protect community interests.
– Caution against hotel construction that would block beachfront access.
– Propose a community-focused model.
– Safeguard livelihoods and guarantee public access to the beach.
Introduce an audible alarm system for tsunamis.
– Require hotels to install alarms to alert guests and residents in the event of an emergency.
Create literacy and numeracy centres across schools.
Support parents of children with disabilities.
– Provide extended maternity and paternity leave.
– Expand community-based support services.
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