Brown Burke bashes new sixth-form mandate
OPPOSITION SPOKESPERSON on Education Dr Angela Brown Burke has described as “utter nonsense” the Government’s decision to disallow fifth-form graduations as it transitions to compulsory participation of students in a seven-year educational plan.
Brown Burke, who addressed a press conference at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Tuesday, told The Gleaner that the education ministry’s “one-size-fitsall” approach to administering its Sixth Form Pathways Programme for Jamaica’s 171 high schools is unsustainable and must be abandoned.
“We all know ... every milestone that you make should be celebrated, however small some might think it is. For some, it’s a huge step,” Brown Burke said of graduations, which are viewed as a rite of passage from childhood into adulthood.
“Why would we deny our students, after all they’ve been through? ... It almost seems punitive,” she said at the launch of the People’s National Party’s Youth Month launch.
She raised concerns that adequate consultation need to be had with parents and principals regarding the implementation of the compulsory sixth-form programme. She also disagreed with the proposal that principals of sending schools be held responsible for students who must be transferred to other institutions in order to complete their sixth-form studies.
“It should no longer be the responsibility of that high school,” said Brown Burke.
She called for the ministry to offer greater clarity on the targets and goals of the Pathways Programme, adding that the crisis of sub-par performance of two-thirds of secondary students should be addressed first.
“Work needs to be done there before we talk about an additional two years,” Brown Burke said.
National Parent-Teacher Association President Mitsie Harris-Dillon said that parents have not received updates on the Pathways Programme since August 2020 when a bulletin was issued notifying them that the new model was under consideration.
Harris-Dillon told The Gleaner on Tuesday that of 40,000 parents who favoured the proposal last year, 35 per cent remained worried about whether the education system could accommodate the volume of students expected to stay in high school for two additional years.
“If principals do not have space for the students who schools would have deferred CXC earlier this year, where are they gonna find space? Is it that the ministry is planning to build more schools?” Harris-Dillon questioned.
“How did they just jump up after the year has already started to come up with this? Without engaging with us and giving us time to even process the information that is being released.”