By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A Cabinet Minister was yesterday said to have conceded what the private sector has “been screaming about” for decades, having admitted 40 per cent of the Bahamian workforce lacks the education to compete in a “merciless” global economy.
Jerome Fitzgerald, minister of education, in his address last week to the eighth Inter-American meeting of education ministers, disclosed that more than one-third of the current Bahamian workforce had failed to graduate from high school.
Agreeing that this posed a threat to Bahamian economic sustainability in an increasingly competitive world, Mr Fitzgerald said “a poorly educated populace” retards GDP growth and tax collections, increases crime and overburdens a nation’s health and social services infrastructure.
The Minister said that when it came to education, the Bahamas had expected different results while continuing to do the same thing - meaning it has failed to implement meaningful reforms to improve decades of dismal performance that now threaten what a senior private executive has branded a “social disaster”.
“We teach the same things year after year, using the same methods, and appear mystified when we get the same results,” Mr Fitzgerald said in his address. “Case in point, in my country the graduation rate in the public school system has been roughly at 50 per cent for the past 15 years.......
“We have recorded about 2,500 students not meeting the criteria to graduate each year. As a quick calculation, over the years this group now accounts for about 35 to 38 per cent of the present workforce.
“The next question is: How does a country sustain itself if as much as a third to 40 per cent of its population do not possess a basic education in a world where change is not only constant, but almost instant, and the pressure of competition and market forces can be merciless and devastating.”
Mr Fitzgerald’s remarks are effectively the first cogent address by a politician that links poor educational achievement to the Bahamas’ growing competitiveness and productivity issues, plus a myriad of social problems.
“Simply put, a poorly educated populace leads to a decrease in tax revenue and GDP, and increased demand on social services, health services and safety [security] services,” Mr Fitzgerald summed up.
Robert Myers, the immediate past Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) chairman, who has written two position papers on the issues outlined by Mr Fitzgerald, told this newspaper yesterday that poor educational achievement was “increasingly making us lose competitiveness”.
“We’re seeing it right now,” he told Tribune Business. “That’s why we’ve been screaming about competitiveness, productivity and education. We can’t get GDP up.”
While backing the Minister’s comments, Mr Myers suggested his figures underestimated the number of Bahamians who left high school functionally illiterate - meaning they cannot properly read and write.
Drawing upon 2008’s BGCSE literacy and maths scores, Mr Myers said these showed that 1,380 persons gained a ‘D’ grade, with a further 1,920 achieving an ‘E’ or less.
This, he added, showed 3,300 persons left high school with either poor or ‘seriously lacking’ cognitive skills. And, with around 6,000 graduates leaving Bahamian high school annually, Mr Myers said it was 55 per cent - not 40 per cent - of the workforce who lacked the necessary basic education.
“Anyone with a ‘D’ or less has a challenge to be employed. That’s my opinion,” the former BCCEC chairman told Tribune Business.
“With our level of education, anyone with a ‘D’ or less, they’re lacking cognitive skills based on the quality of public education.
“Anyone with a ‘D’ or less has a hard time filling out an application form. If you can’t read or write you are seriously challenged,” added Mr Myers.
“If the statistics are right, and 6,000 kids are coming out every year, I think we’ve got more like 3,500 lacking a suitable education, which is like 55 per cent. It’s the ‘D’s’ and ‘E’s’ and those that don’t even attend school.”
Mr Myers yesterday shared with Tribune Business a paper he wrote on the Bahamas workforce woes, never previously made public, in which he warned that the failure to reform education was threatening “social disaster”.
Questioning whether the Bahamas’ education system and exam standards matched those in competitor jurisdictions, his paper warned that this nation’s performance was “worse than we think” if the answer was negative.
“The data above would conclude that a minimum 55 per cent of our high school graduates are unfit for corporate employment that requires any kind of serious job training,” Mr Myers wrote.
“This would preclude them from any middle income employment earning potential, and leave them only with low income opportunities like housekeeping, gardeners, basic technicians, construction helpers or perhaps higher earning criminal activities
“When one considers that basic educational and cognitive skills are not attained by the majority, then..... poor work ethics and practices have evolved. If people don’t have the opportunity to empower themselves and gain self-esteem, then they will likely fall into a degenerative state.”
Having assessed the impact on affected individuals, Mr Myers turned his attention to the private sector and wider economy, adding: “Since the workforce available is only semi-literate, numerate employers are faced with an even greater problem of not being able to obtain or provide any upward mobility to their employees, thus seriously hindering and limiting the normal growth and development of businesses.
“These businesses are challenged to try and train the very people the Government schools themselves failed to educate properly for the 12 years they were in the public school system.
“Businesses that are reliant on hiring low income employees compete for the talented and or productive members of the ‘D/F’ students as well as the ‘C’ grade students that don’t pursue higher education or are unable to obtain better jobs.
“The sheer lack of an educated work force is further frustrated by a culture within our people that does not wish to work in certain manual or physical labour careers.”
Pinpointing the wider ramifications for Bahamian society and the economy, Mr Myers’ paper warned: “If we do not correct this issue we will see a continued increase in crime, prices and foreign competition, and decreases in productivity, GDP and growth.
“Both political parties’ lack of resolve to this social disaster is evident in the repeated inability to have improved education for the last 25 years, or the desire to provide meaningful vocational training to the unemployed or the under-performing employed.”
Ironically, Mr Fitzgerald last week agreed with Mr Myers on the root cause of the Bahamas’ education problems.
Disclosing that he and his teams had visited many of the world’s best performing education systems over the past three years to learn the secrets of their success, the Minister said the most important common factor was “the political will to effect change”.
“Substantive change in an educational system can take 10 to 20 years of intense sustained political will. It is not sexy. It is grunge work,” Mr Fitzgerald said last week.
“Not the kind of thing that excites the usual politician, and certainly not the kind of thing that wins elections in most countries. In fact, one education minister can find himself at the beginning of this type of change and another at the end.
“Which is why taking the political will to begin a process of significant change in education is not one of instant gratification, and more than often is one without any individual celebration. It is a cohesive, collective process and one that demands perseverance.”
The Bahamas must hope that the current government, and future administrations, take note.
Comments
John 9 years, 2 months ago
Another problem that has developed is that many of the young girls are becoming obese to the point that they have eliminated themselves from certain jobs. Walk into any of the fast food restaurants and watch them struggle to do menial chores and not burst out their clothes.
asiseeit 9 years, 2 months ago
The only two sectors of The Bahamas that have reaped the benefits of an uneducated population is the political elite and the church. The political elite have been able to swing uneducated people into voting them into office time and time again when any educated person would have thrown them out with the dirty bath water long ago. The church has been a parasite upon these same uneducated people, sucking money out of them as a tick sucks blood from a dog. Is there any wonder that both of these organizations have done nothing to enlighten the average Bahamian, it would end their reign over the country!
Emac 9 years, 2 months ago
AMEN!
TheMadHatter 9 years, 2 months ago
One million % correct !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If every single church in this country would simply vaporize into thin air overnight tonight - we would then be able to consider ourselves surely blessed by God, because HE knows what they've been up to.
Hogfish 9 years, 2 months ago
I commend Mr. Fitzgerald for taking the first step and acknowledging this most dire of issues.
The problem is much worse though than he either realises or is willing to admit.
The root cause is that the vast majority of the teachers in the governement schools are not quailified and borderline illiterate themselves. That's what happens when 'subs' take over and never get replaced. What's worse is they are portected by unions who are prepared to line their pockets at the expense of our children's future.
But maybe he does realise this and is willing to put politics aside. Because to do what is neccesary, it will get ugly. Real Ugly.!
He will need to fire a lot of these teachers and go against the union which is always a very sensitive issue. Teachers are always seen as the small guy. It's one of the most important occupations yet poorly compensated. At least in 3rd world jurisdictions like ours.
But these teachers are NOT qualified for the job!.
Keeping them only serves AS AN INJUSTICE TO OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR FUTURE!
We need qualified teachers and to pay them properly.
duppyVAT 9 years, 2 months ago
That is a LIE. Most public school teachers are better trained than private school teachers ........... the problem is accountability, the teachers' union and parental indifference.
jackflash 9 years, 2 months ago
Hogfish
You are wrong blaming the teachers!
They work hard at school with the kids who go home to no accountability from the parents who do not make sure they do the homework or coach them in any way.
Our family network has broken down, most parents aren't fit to be parents!
Having said that that - there are some shinning examples of bright young students who are doing very well- no doubt fully supported by their parents.
ohdrap4 9 years, 2 months ago
the west indian teachers do not care, the govt hires them with gratuity for 2 contracts and they are not pensionable.
they work for cheap and tolerate 40 children in a classroom.
TheMadHatter 9 years, 2 months ago
Another big problem is that there is NO WAY for an adult in this country who is a college graduate and knows a lot about a particular subject area/s and has worked in the workforce for several years to become a teacher.
I challenge any of you to find a way.
Go to the COB website and see what required courses are needed to obatin a teaching certificate and/or degree. Try to find out when these courses are held.
Call them and ask them. There is no answer.
There is NO WAY to become a teacher, except to go to the union and they hire you as a temp and arrange for some courses and they give you a certificate from COB whenever they are truly assured that you are "one of them."
Again, I challenge anyone to find a web link to a page that lays out specifically what courses and other requirement are necessary to become a teacher and when such courses are actually offered that you can take them.
TheMadHatter
duppyVAT 9 years, 2 months ago
Private schools have more foreign teachers than public schools .... so what is your point????
asiseeit 9 years, 2 months ago
Agreed, Mr. Fizgerald is to be commended for broaching the subject. Also agreed on the subject of the teachers. I was appalled when listening to some teachers, they honestly do not even speak proper English. How in the hell can you be a teacher if you can only speak Bahamian slang, disgraceful. I sincerely hope that they sort the education crisis out in this country as if not our youth stand little to no chance in the world or even the country today. One thing they could start with is trying to teach their students how to walk on the side of the road, basics count!
jackflash 9 years, 2 months ago
So the teacher is to blame for kids walking in the middle of the road?
What about the parent, aren't they suppose to be instilling manors?
Or is pop out kids and give to the teachers to bring up?
Here in lies the problem...
Sickened 9 years, 2 months ago
Let's be truly honest now. Many of these school kids and especially their parents NEED to walk in the middle of the road until such time as they are killed. We have many, many useless citizens who will always be a burden. We have the most ignorant among us having (even more ignorant) children. This is a vicious cycle that leads to a mass amount of socially and mentally inept people. A future with a +50% population of basically mentally retarded people does not look so bright. What is the solution... we need to create local boarding schools, in the out islands, where these high risk and unwanted children can go to not only escape the terrible home life and violent neighborhoods but can be in a FULL TIME learning environment where good teachers teach them everything about social living and math, science etc.
The_Oracle 9 years, 2 months ago
Since Independence we have been unravelling the systems that provided core competencies to children in this country and competent rules based government services to the public. While it is true that education was not universally available throughout the country, what is now universally available is worthless. Still, to recognize the reality is the first step.........unless the messenger is shot.
Economist 9 years, 2 months ago
Bahamians are as good as anyone else, IF THEY HAVE TO COMPETE. Since the Bahamianiztion program protects poor job performance many feel they have an entitlement to a job.
If we used our immigration wisely, we could make the market more competitive and Bahamians would rise to meet the challenge. Our athletes do this on a daily basis.
duppyVAT 9 years, 2 months ago
IF FITZGERALD WANTED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM HE SHOULD CALL OUT THE EDUCATION HIERARCHY AND THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS WHO TURN A BLIND EYE TO WHAT THE LINE STAFF IS DOING.
TREAT THE SCHOOLS AS ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOULD HAVE HIGH STANDARDS NOT A BREEDING GROUND FOR CRIMINALS AND RETARDS
HOW CAN A SCHOOL CONTINUE TO AVERAGE LESS THAN A 'D" AVERAGE IN BJC AND BGCSE PASSES EVERY YEAR AND THE ADMIN/TEACHERS ARE NOT HELD TO ACCOUNT?????
OR WHAT ABOUT CALLING OUT THE PERFORMING SCHOOLS AND ATTACH AN INCENTIVE TO THE TOP 10% OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
EVERY YEAR THEY HIGHLIGHT THE TOP STUDENTS (90% FROM PRIVATE SCHOOLS)BUT DO NOT HIGHLIGHT THE SCHOOLS WHO DO WELL. WHY???????????? THE STUDENTS DO NOT EXCEL BY OSMOSIS !!!!!!!
duppyVAT 9 years, 2 months ago
FITZGERALD IS PART OF THE PROBLEM ........... HE SHOULD PUT HIS MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH IS AND TAKE HIS CHILDREN OUT OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND PUT THEM IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT HE IS GETTING PAID TO SUPERINTEND.
BUT OUR ELITIST POLITICIANS WILL NEVER BE PART OF THE MASSES ..... SMDH
ohdrap4 9 years, 2 months ago
after acknowledging this, they dont help the problem because college prep at cob is vatable, so they pay a premium for the d average.
John 9 years, 2 months ago
Whatever happen to the phrase "IF YOU CAN'T FISH, CUT BAIT?" IF some people cannot fish then you must teach them how to cut bait! The good thing is many young Bahamians realize that, when it comes to academics, they are not the brightest crayon in the box. But if you train them and give them something to do they will be productive, happy and satisfied.
John 9 years, 2 months ago
The people in South Eleuthera (who have been suffering economically for decades) say, "Tell Perry (Christie) I only want a little something to do to put some groceries in my house. I ain't looking for no big contract to cause me to work too hard." But yet help and hope has not come to them.
Hogfish 9 years, 2 months ago
To the reaction of my comments above,
You see. I said this was a sensitive issue. People will see at as wrong to blame the teachers because they are the small guy.
But I feel it is wrong for a person to front themselves as a teacher when they are NOT qualified. Because then it is the CHILDREN who suffer.
Yes there are some good teachers, but they are the minority. And I agree it is a question of accountability. If you’re a crap teacher, then you should be fired and not be in a position to dim the prospects of an innocent youth. But that’s when the unions interfere and sustain the vicious cycle.
But i AM open minded and I want the problem fixed.
Have the teachers evaluated!
Send them to a country with a good system (like Canada, UK or even Germany) or bring them in. We NEED help with this. The evaluation HAS to be outsourced because we all know there would be too much political interference locally. Everyone knows everyone and it would be ya ma’s cuzin hairdresser doing the evaluation!.
Those that then pass the tests, Double their salary! In successful countries like Singapore, Switzerland and Korea, teachers are some of the highest paid civil servants. Those that don’t pass, I would say carry’ass! But if they want to stay a teacher get yourself trained properly and come back
duppyVAT 9 years, 2 months ago
Fitzgerald and his top brass always vacation in Singapore and Finland at the expense of the taxpayers and een learning SHIT.
Sickened 9 years, 2 months ago
What is the solution? We need to create local boarding schools, in the out islands, where these high risk and unwanted children can go to not only escape their terrible home life and violent neighborhoods but can be in a FULL TIME learning environment where good teachers teach them everything about social/community living as well as math, science etc.
Many of our youth need to be away from their parents and the terrible influences in their communities such as gangs, web shops, drugs, hookers and tramps.
duppyVAT 9 years, 2 months ago
This is not the Soviet Union ............ we cannot create gulag schools!!!!!!! But the Canadians may pick off a few .......... they came recruiting last month
EnoughIsEnough 9 years, 2 months ago
we never had this problem when we had foreign (and by that i mean british) teachers in the school system - public and private. many of our elite, lawyers, politicians, etc reaped the benefit of british teachers - discipline in the schools, proper grammar for reading and writing, learning respect for others and themselves. then those that reaped the benefits became powerful and went all "bahamian only" in order to garner the vote of the masses and that Bahamianization has led to sub-par teachers. the standards are no longer there for being a teacher - even in some of the private schools where they have teachers who may be fluent in a language but never taught a day in their life. and this applies to foreign and bahamian - there are foreign teachers getting permits because their husbands are here, and no qualifications. the requirements are low. how can we possibly have a teacher in a school who can't pronounce their v's and w's, whose grammar is crap - and they are passing on bad language skills. we need to bring in the well trained foreign teachers again and raise the quality of education in this country. these poor kids have no hope. i have many friends at baha mar trying to hire and they are struggling at times because either people come in with an education but their presentation is horrendous - funky coloured hair, breasts popping out, pants too low - or they can't even put together a decent resume. in a luxury resort appearance and presentation is half the battle and we don't teach that in schools. these kids have no one to guide them - not at school, not at home, not in their communities. sad to see...
akbar 9 years, 2 months ago
The real issue is that the PRIVATE SECTOR can't keep up in a global economy with their outdated practices and unwillingness to properly train employees. While our educational system is definitely lacking and needs to be revamped, the private sector has a responsibility to ensure that their employees are properly trained. "40 % of the workforce" means that people are already employed so they at least had to meet some basic requirements. But spending on training to them hurts their bottom line in their eyes. If you look around at how 90% of the private sector operates most of them in any other part of the world would have been out of business ages ago. Most of them depend so heavily on political intervention until it is a joke. Don't be fool these businesses playing politics just like everyone else because it is a common fact that that is the way to do business in the Bahamas. Also if the Govt. would stop spending huge amount of the education budget on building contractors every year ( rewarding their croonies) and allocate the funds to resources which would help revamp and strengthen our failing education system (public and private) then maybe this country could move forward in a more positive direction. Our education system is based on "regurgitating information" ( which is so well suited for Law our so called noble profession) and not on knowledge building and logical thinking. This really is the crux of the matter. We are not teaching our children ( private and public schools) how to "think" but our education system is heavily rooted in memory. While you need some form of information retention what you really need is knowing how to use the information and that what is missing in our system.
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