PM Browne: Smart Technology to Address Math Teacher Shortage and Ensure Fair Access to Quality Education
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has highlighted the use of smart technology as a key solution to the long-standing shortage of mathematics teachers across Antigua and Barbuda, emphasizing the need for equitable access to quality education.
Speaking on the issue, Browne acknowledged that certain schools, particularly those considered “top schools,” tend to receive the best teachers, leaving others, such as Jennings Secondary, Pares Secondary, and schools in Barbuda, with fewer or less experienced educators. He described this imbalance as a form of discrimination that must be addressed to ensure all students have equal learning opportunities.
“We’ve always had a shortage of math teachers,” Browne stated. “Now, a math teacher can be in different schools and classrooms simultaneously, not just physically but through technology. With smartboards in secondary schools, a good math teacher—perhaps at Antigua Girls’ High School—can deliver lessons to multiple schools at the same time.”
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of creating a level playing field in education, ensuring that students in all schools receive high-quality instruction regardless of location.
He underscored the government’s commitment to leveraging digital advancements to bridge the educational gap, noting that smart technology can be used to extend the reach of skilled educators to classrooms where their expertise is needed most.
As Antigua and Barbuda continues efforts to modernize its education system, Browne emphasized that the integration of smart classrooms will be a crucial step toward improving learning outcomes and ensuring fairness in teacher distribution.
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My child is in Secondary School 2 years, 2 years, second form student, WITHOUT A MATHTEMATICS TEXT BOOK. Never had one, never got one. How can you talk about Maths and teachers and equal opportunities bla bla bla when the GOVERNMENT hasn’t done SHIT to see that MATHS TEXT BOOKS are in schools.
With such an admittance, why would a parent want to send his/her children to Pares Secondary or Jennings Secondary. Antigua Girls High and Antigua Grammar School continually get what is considered the best and most capable teachers whilst the other schools receive whatever is left over. The assigning of teachers rests solely with the Ministry of Education and they should ensure that a more equitable and fair assignment of teachers such that schools like Pares Secondary, Jennings Secondary and others can one day be elevated into the “”top school” echelon. The Ministry has contributed to this characterization by always assigning “second rated teachers” to some schools.
I do agree with the Honourable Prime Minister that it’s time that we begin to use technology in order to ensure that all our schools receive the same high level of teaching. This would require considerably more investment in Education. Again I stress, this can only materialize if we are more fiscally prudent with our resources and make the investment where it is really needed. Our CXC Maths results are very low and declining every year and we need quick action in order to reverse this trend.
Good idea in theory but as it stands, there are a number of issues that would need to be resolved before this can materialize. For one, the internet is poor at some schools so even if the “best” schools have internet, there’s no guarantee that the internet at the school being reached will be viable. Other resources such as devices, equipment and infrastructure are also severely lacking. Secondly, would this be a regular schedule of online sessions? Would that teacher be required to take register and handle behavioral issues in both classes? If one class is slower/lazier than the other, will they end up keeping back the other class? What about pay? Will the teachers be paid double since they are doing the work of 2 teachers, or will you give them a small “allowance” that they will have to walk back and forth from Treasury to collect? These are a few matters that need to be looked into first before this initiative can be implemented.
PS. Everybody expects so much from teachers yet disrespect them at every turn!! From the pay to the students behavior and lack of performance to the parents enabling their children in their nonsense to Ministry’s blatant disregard for the issues while using teachers’ hard work and dedication for political and career mileage!!! I hope this initiative doesn’t involve the teacher paying for the niceties while becoming physically and emotionally drained and then “others” end up getting the credit!!
Back in my days at AGHS, we had a Math teacher who was our vice principal after she studied to be a lawyer but didn’t pass the bar exam. Ended up needing a tutor
I can understand what the PM is saying. Alot of the so called opulent schools recieve good teachers. And the backward schools recieve them teachers who doesn’t give a shit
He needs to organize a special school for primary school students who have academic challenges and are differently able. They need a center to accommodate them. Mist of them are falling through the cracks.