Jeffrey Lloyd
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
A MINISTRY of Education survey has revealed 20 percent of children entering the first grade each year are not ready for primary school, Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd said yesterday.
“They don’t possess the necessary academic and social skills to properly and sufficiently negotiate the first grade,” he said. “They are not able to recognise shapes; they hardly know their names or a sufficient number of words; they can’t put words together in sentences and don’t know the full names of their parents or their address; there is a significant data deficit.”
Mr Lloyd’s comment came in the context of emphasising the need to expand access to pre-school education.
He said his ministry wants the number of children enrolled in pre-schools to increase by 1,000 each year. However, the Minnis administration’s promise to make pre-school education mandatory for children between two and five will not be fulfilled until their is sufficient capacity and human resources to accommodate the increase in attendees, he said.
“In the next five years the gap now experienced by this country in the number of preschool primary students who are not in school or formally registered programme, that gap will be closed,” he said.
“We estimate there is anywhere to six to eight thousand pre-primary school students not in such a programme. We will close that by upgrading, modernising and building new facilities. We will have to enter public-private partnerships to accomplish this. It is our intention to universalise pre-school education, meaning all children two to five must be in school, and while we intend to amend the Education Act so this is possible, we can’t do so unless there are sufficient resources in the country to accommodate those who will be mandated to attend school.
“There are facilities and resources issues; there are not enough qualified teachers and teacher aides. These are the most sensitive and vulnerable constituents off our education establishment we are talking about so we have to have qualified teachers and teacher aides.”
A global movement in recent years has sought to expand access to pre-school education for children, but Mr Lloyd said The Bahamas is “lagging a bit in our process for achieving this objective”.
“One hundred and ninety countries around the world have taken this seriously,” he said. “Here, over 8,000 youngsters are not in school; we are losing. If we don’t lay that foundation properly we will be in a heap of trouble. Some studies show children who attend pre-primary education, if only for a year, do far better academically, financially, intellectually, creatively than those who do not.”
The issue provides a case study on how income inequality is perpetuated, Mr Lloyd believes. Well-off Bahamians are more likely to send their children to pre-school because they can afford doing so, thereby ensuring their children get a solid jumpstart in life.
“On the average according to our investigations, the private sector has a cost of approximately $250 per month for pre-schools; $2,500 per year,” he said. “Obviously to afford that you’re effectively looking at somebody of a certain income level. If you have already 45,000 of your citizens below the poverty line, you can see why, if the public sector is not providing it, they are incapable of accessing it through the private sector. It’s crucial the public sector acquires the capacity as quickly as possible.”
If necessary, The Bahamas will look abroad for qualified pre-school teachers and teacher aides, Mr Lloyd said. “We now have an aggressive invitation extended to all persons who are interest in becoming teachers; we have our teacher cadet programme where a number participants have expressed interest in becoming pre-primary school teachers. We have a number of others who are not qualified, having only a bachelor’s degree prepared to consider some in-service training awards of grants to facilitate their upgrades.
“Unfortunately, we may have to go outside the country to get what we need. I hope not but it might have to come down to it. There will be an aggressive training programme for teacher’s asides, for teacher aides.”
The Ministry of Education held a conclave yesterday to discuss its education plans with stakeholders.
“We invited stakeholders from across the country, civil society, members of private schooling sector, independent schools, the business community to hear our draft consideration for the next five years in education which includes curriculum changes, upgrade of physical plants and expansion of preschool education,” Mr Lloyd said.
Comments
bogart 6 years ago
Anchor babies. Noone can impart social skills and other skills if their parents themselves do not know it. The shortfalls just have to be made up by changes in the curriculum including teaching in morning in creole and Bahamian dialect in afternoon. Many Bahamians already speak creole just ealk down Bay St or stand in most govt lines.
TalRussell 6 years ago
An off the colony survey conducted by Buckingham Palace has revealed 87.77 percent of all red shirts elected by the forgotten 91,409 voters of 10th May 2017 upon entering the Peoples House of Assembly are not ready for prime time governing. If the survey is accurate - Comrade Education Minister Jeffrey is then has got odds at being deemed unfit be in House - much less a performing for his public purse wages level as a member Imperial red cabinet. {There is no just making up this red stuff }.
hrysippus 6 years ago
talcumrussel, you could write a pretty good stand-up comedy skit, command performance before hrh perhaps?
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
Lloyd is a talking head ...... Who is responsible for getting children ready for formal schooling??? We are always ducking the problem ......... PARENTS are the biggest problem in schools today.
TalRussell 6 years ago
Comrade Jeff is promoting third world education format slated to become a rare bird in even third world countries say within 10 to 15 years. I didn’t know if any grade school can still exist beyond this time period - so why pump another billion dollars public purse monies fund a dead horse... why wait, close up the educational shop now.
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
Exactly......... every child has a smartphone today ....... Do they need brick and mortar schools anymore???????........... Lloyd wants them to use tablets, not books or blackboards .......... smh
TalRussell 6 years ago
Ma Comrade, the ministry education has never invested a single red penny to provide government school students with latest learning electronics. You'd be shocked at high percentage students with no smartphone... much less own a computer.
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
Tal ....... you must be somewhere stuck deep up Brave's ass ....... every fricking child in this country has a cellphone ......... using it for BS though
TalRussell 6 years ago
Ma Comrade, 32.35 percent dwellings across the colony islands don't even have electricity... or if they do - its service is unpredictable when she is on, or when she turned/shut off.
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
Who says that anyone needs electricity to have a cellphone??? They use solar powered chargers in Africa where 90% of those people do not have electricity ........ and the Haitian shanties already prove that you do not need BEC to have power ........ And every Haitian has a smartphone.
TalRussell 6 years ago
Are you suggesting your cell provider sells solar powered chargers... so you're admitting it's back Africa our students. not so sure how Conchy Joe's will react your back Africa?
John 6 years ago
No amount of Education an replace those few years children spend hoe with parents before beginning that 12 year journey through the school system and beyond And parents should not let the so called experts to lose that single bonding opportunity To become what Educated Fools? ZOMBIES even, devoid of all feelings, qualities and natural affection of a human being. WHY kick a bird out of the nest before he is ready to fly. More education does not guarantee a better quality of life or even more success. And, in fact studies are showing that adult children are choosing to stay in their parents home longer some even after getting married and starting families of their own. Why does it always seem that we have to be in a hurry to go somewhere? It is cruel to rob children of their infancy and parents of their infants, Mr. Minister
John 6 years ago
No amount of Education can replace those few years children spend home with parents before beginning that 12 year journey through the school system and beyond And parents should not let the so called experts to lose that single bonding opportunity To become what Educated Fools? ZOMBIES even, devoid of all feelings, qualities and natural affection of a human being. WHY kick a bird out of the nest before he is ready to fly. More education does not guarantee a better quality of life or even more success. And, in fact, studies are showing that adult children are choosing to stay in their parents home longer some even after getting married and starting families of their own. The extended family with more in house interaction and bonding The the set who don't go out and shoot up schools or work places Why does it always seem that we have to be in a hurry to go somewhere? The world is not getting bigger In fat is is growing easier and faster to navigate It is cruel to rob children of their infancy and parents of their infants, Mr. Minister
rawbahamian 6 years ago
Tal, it must be killing you daily that the 'Gold rush' regime was vanquished and all of the pandering, golden handshakes, missing millions, extravagant spending, government hiring of useless gold rush supporters, obscene finger flashing politicians days are over and that the 'Imperial Red Shirts' are at the helm now and you have to wait five long painful years to see if Brave and he boys can muster the strength etc for a come back !!! You are obviously writhing in pain !
TalRussell 6 years ago
Ma Comrade RawBahamian, we two are not so opposite in direction or position:on the PLP. Notwithstanding, each successful prosecution brought missing funds from public purse since 91,409 voted red 10th May 2017 - were either first investigative launched by the previous PLP administration's time in office, nor have they involved a single previously elected PLP politician..... am I correct? Not a single count missing public purse monies have been laid at feet the former prime minister. We still have four years to go see how this bunch red shirts politicians do with billions dollars belong public purse?
BONEFISH 6 years ago
One of the Rt Hon.Hubert Ingraham's education policies was to build or attach pre-schools to existing public schools.This was started when Dame Dumont was education minister. A very good idea.
A next problem we have and don't want to discuss.My cousin's wife taught at a public school in the inner city a few years ago. She said there were a quite a number of first graders who spoke creole and spoke very little english.
stillwaters 6 years ago
When they leave primary school, however, only 10% of them are ready for high school, based on BGCSE results.
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
Do you ever hear about GLAT results in Grade 6??? ...... Far worst than BJC or BGCSE
joeblow 6 years ago
... and nine out of ten become legal adults who are not ready for life. When you destroy the social fabric of a society with large numbers of single parent homes, do not transfer basic common sense life skills to your children and allow reckless disregard for the law at all levels of society what do you expect?
This country is well on its way to being a colony of Haiti socially, and our leaders seem clueless about how to resist the obvious decline in our social and moral values!
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
PARENTS ARE ALLOWING CELLPHONES TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN
Aegeaon 6 years ago
Again our blame is Haiti.
Enough of these scapegoats. We've been blaming Haitians, Jamaicans, white foreigners of America and UK, DEA, FBI, EU. The whole line of scapegoats while we rip and tear this country apart by either making drug money, gambling and money laundering to terrorists. I say, NO MORE. No more blaming foreigners for every single mess that we created. No more playing victim. It's time to accept our sins and restore the golden age of the Bahamas, before the Medellin Cartel landed here.
joeblow 6 years ago
You say WE, but it is obvious you are not one of us! You may have been delivered in one of our hospitals, immunized in our clinics and educated in our public schools, but you are clearly not a Bahamian in spirit!!
Can you, as a staunch defender of Haiti and its people tell us one benefit large amounts of illegal, uneducated, Creole speaking Haitians, have had on the English speaking Bahamas? Just one!
Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years ago
And many of these same unprepared children grow up to be unprepared adults employed by the government sector in exchange for supporting (and voting for) the corrupt political party du jour.
Sickened 6 years ago
PLP (Pindling days) intentionally kept the people uneducated so that they can stay in power (typical African move). Now that generation's grandkids are still suffering as a result. It will take at least 20 years before we get a generation of decent social skills and education.
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
Do you really expect the nut to fall far from the tree????? ........ Read my comment above ........ drug-era parents are raising IGeneration spawn now
joeblow 6 years ago
Can be done in 3-5 years if the government implements a NATIONAL program for re-socializing Bahamians and create a new culture while doing so. They haven't considered it because they do not understand the importance of human capital! Instead we do stupid things like push service oriented industries while many want jobs, but don't want to provide service!
DDK 6 years ago
When children without even a basic high school education stop having children, MAYBE the situation will improve!
bogart 6 years ago
Many comments relate to the 'parents' ......what about the many single parent....female....teenager....unmarried....raising little Jean Paul along wid little Shin'e'qua??? The govt surely knows the costs so why do they not know what measures to take to correct .....like eduvational programs on family planning,, vasectomies, castration for serial sweethearters, and enlisting pastors like the one who nationally commented before ......
DDK 6 years ago
"between two and five will not be fulfilled until THEIR is sufficient capacity and human resources to"
“We estimate there IS anywhere TO six to eight thousand pre-primary school students not in such a programme."
"These are the most sensitive and vulnerable constituents OFF our education establishment"
Perhaps we should start with this reporter and the copy editor. These booboos only up to half-way point of the report. Buck-up Tribune! Set an example! (One ASSUMES the errors are not the fault of The Minister of EDUCATION!)
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