Take a page from Miss Clarke’s book

The Editor, Madam,

CRYSTAL CLARKE, aged 33, is a high school dropout and a single mother of eight children. Unfortunately, the absentee fathers of her children have, seemingly, deserted them. Maybe this is an opportune time to initiate discussions on how governments can stop absentee fathers from cutting off support for the upbringing of their children without the attendant consequences. But I digress.

Ms Clarke, given her circumstance, could have chosen to delegate her parental obligations to society, like many others in a similar situation have done, but clearly, she recognised the value of education and took it upon herself to lay an educational foundation for at least three of her young children who were not in the formal school system, so much so that the principal of Duhaney Park Primary School (DPPS), Colleen Reid Grant, was rather impressed with their academic performances.

The fact that these primary-aged children were being registered in school for the first time in the year 2019 and were able to spell, read, and speak at a higher level than other students who have been in the formal school system for several years is extraordinary. One of the children even qualified for the Junior School Challenge Quiz team at DPPS. This feat is deserving of commendation!

The method of teaching employed by Ms Clarke ought to be examined for its efficacy with a view to assisting students who are struggling in the formal school system. The failure of successive governments to create an all-inclusive education system demands it!