BY AUDLEY PHILLIP
Prior to the start of my Secondary School journey, all public schools, both Primary and Secondary used to dismiss at 3pm. I spent 7 years at Secondary School from form 1 thru 6 at which time the change was already implemented which saw school dismissing at 1:30pm daily. To this day I am still unsure why the change was necessary..
Children today have far too much free time on their hands.. . Dismissing school at 130pm. provides children with literally one and a half hours of unsupervised idle time and many children use this time to roam and do all manner of evil. On a regular school day it is quite normal to see children parading all over St.John’s and elsewhere, way past the 130 hour.
As we grapple with the scourge of youth crime and violence, we need to ensure that our children are given the maximum tools in order to make them better students and ultimately better adults later in life.
I think that it is an opportune time to have a good conversation about school hours and the times given to academic lessons and what if anything ought to be changed. Lets not underestimate the impact of teachers on students. Beyond imparting knowledge, teachers serve as mentors, role models and sources of inspiration. A teacher’s impact on a student ‘s life extends way beyond the classroom walls, shaping their character, aspirations and future success.
I therefore recommend extending the school hours to 3pm in order to give the students more face time with their teachers. This will also give teachers and students more time for instruction and this is also more inline with the modern world standards today. Incidentally, this would also be much easier on parents. Right now, schools are dismissed at 130pm, just after the midday hour and before most adults (parents and guardians) leave work.
This provides ample opportunities for time wasting and loitering by the children and is prime time for mischief making and we have seen so much of that recently
I know that parents are tired and teachers are also tired.from all the recent happenings. Everyone is working from a deficit. If the common good is the same, that is, to provide the best educational experience possible for each student, then it shouldn’t be difficult to bridge the gap between the best and most practical school times and home times.
We have to know how and when to change programs and policies in the best interest of our students, parents and even the teachers. Tough times call for changes.
I hope that the Educational policy makers will seriously consider this option. going forward.
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This guy needs a round of 👏
They also need to ensure that each subject has an assigned teacher, and not repeat what has been occurring over the past 2 yrs, ” shortages of teachers in specific departments”.
Children should not suffer for a lack of a teacher. Where are the substitutes?
Children are left in the classes to “google” and fend for themselves hours on end due to inadequate planning, who is to blame?
As parents we need to speak up when our children complain about these ongoing issues. This cannot be accepted as the norm.
Many people complain about being unemployed, yet there are often shortages of teachers and nurses. Perhaps some scholarships in these areas could be offered by persons in the private sector to help capable unemployed persons get the training that they need to do these jobs?
Wow. I am now learning something. In Trinidad and Tobago, government schools and most private public schools, the Infant students dismiss at 2:30 while the rest of the school dismisses at 3. The SDA schools dismiss at noon on Fridays.
Nonsense, so many generations have been through this school setting with no problem, some of the youths of today is just out of control, so find ways to deal with the ones in question.
Well, 9-3 minus 1 hour for lunch is the same amount of instructional time as 8-1:30 with 30 minutes for break.
Many countries in the world have similar times to ours. Often we compare ourselves to the U.S. and start to follow them, but the U.S. does not have the best educational outcomes. Many students graduate high school there knowing very little because they often pass them on attendance alone. Also, their schedules are so jammed that they barely get time to eat and go hungry for hours depending on their lunch slots. If we are going to follow other countries, we should follow those with the best outcomes and overall systems – nothing to do with how many countries do this or that or just following what seems popular on the internet. The internet is heavily biased to represent the U.S. experience. So, it’s not that obvious what countries with the best systems do unless you really research in depth. The real question is which systems are overall most effective while still being humane.
Child development research would need to be considered as to how many hours are healthy. Note that even in expensive all-day boarding schools that rich kids attend in other countries, students don’t spend all day in classes. The afternoons are spent on sports, social clubs and other activities. The students are not seeing the same teachers all day long.
Teachers are not the parents and they need time for prep and grading. In secondary school the work is harder so more time is needed for such than in primary school.
Children also need to spend time with their parents, families, and communities.
Our school system is actually generally good. It just needs enough resources to be as effective as possible. As the saying goes if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
However, to avoid crime, sure some thought should be given to how students are occupied after school. Consideration could be given to adding required after school clubs etc. or just making spaces in after school programmes available for those students whose parents don’t have somewhere with adult supervision for them to go. Or perhaps, some students need short after school jobs to help learn to be productive, pay for necessities without crime, and save for further education after secondary school.
So, overall, many factors should be considered by all stakeholders before any changes are made.
My mother and her siblings went to school in late 50’s to 60’s and yes school dismissed not at 3 but 3:15 according to their account, reason given afternoon prayer. Although it’s a good idea let’s be realistic. The teachers in those days had a cadre of individuals who assisted raising their children ( because most grandparents were home), everyone was each other’s keeper.
Fast-forward to the 90’s I attended the AGHS, School finished daily at 1:25, by 1:30 we were leaving the classrooms. My mother was a classroom teacher in a primary public school, and she gave me a time frame to get home, by public transportation which was very limited, and in order for her to know the time I got home, I was required to call the school and leave a message. On one occasion the secretary forgot to pass on the message and I nearly got a tanning. What saved me was the swift thinking of the secretary to call home, and the call was received just when my mom was about to give me the rod of correction.
Parents (home), the community,school and church must play a pivotal role and the most important ingredient in this is the parent most of them are lacking
Oddly, I agree 100%. The problem is that there are quite in number of young people who are not in school who have dropped out for whatever reason. I believe that when high school gets challenging that young some young people are not academically. interested in what’s being taught to them, therefore there should be other classes for those who are not going to excel academically. When I was going to school, you knew if somebody was gonna go into a commercial class or a carpentry class or into a class that would teach them a skill. I seriously believe that is what is lacking in our society . There are some men and some women on the island who would donate an hour an hour and a half of their time to mentor some young people. My suggestion to 10 young women and 10 young men and have them meet with these various professionals and some farmers and some plumbers and some carpenters And follow them for at least six months and when you’re finished with that, you take another 10 and so on and so on that’s just my two cents
hope Audley will volunteer his time at these schools
I am not against this policy fully. I do think that the extra hour should be about what the students want to do. In subjects like music, martial arts, dancing, art, even teaching foreign subjects like US law that I wished they had classes in Antigua and Barbuda in My time.
I genuinely think making school longer harms mentally and that last hour should be more relaxing and enjoyable, fun, for students.
So, you are correct in extending but for me, it must be entertaining for student. Not more pressure on students. That is what the international communities are now focusing on. Music after regular school time, soccer practice, steel pan, farming, etcetera. Make it fun.
so teachers don’t have a life? UPP offered some of our best teachers a “package” and then later the tissue paper prime minister admitted that it was a horrible mistake made by his administration!!!
People on here talk about administration sent home teachers ….if some one wants to leave voluntarily with severance offered how is that forcing? why not mention some good teachers were forced to leave because the service because they were being forced to take the vaccines or else….yall can remember one thing and not the other…smh
Fully agree with you in terms of extending the hours. Recall the consultation done on this under the upp admin..The result was the teaches rejected it because they stated they are not your children’s nanny . In neighboring slu it’s essentially to 3 pm. The public schools there also perform well as far as czc results.
Some of the responses are regrettable, coming from adults and shows what is wrong in Antigua and Barbuda. This is not about me. I am the least. Instead of brainstorming and coming up with possible solutions to these ongoing issues involving our students, we attack the messenger and ignore the salient message. We will never get anywhere in this country if we continue to fight and quarrel over issues that would bring peace and tranquility to us all. You might not support my suggestion and that is your right but then suggest alternatives. We have a problem with our youths including school children. We need solution…..not fights and name calling.
@Audley Phillip, I agree. People there do not focus on the pith of the message and I always blog about that. Not once have I ever seen you made mention of this point when this happen to others. It is why they are so accustomed to doing it and now doing it to you.
So I will stand up for you and say, your message is great, I would love to see the youth with more options for an extended day. So, good idea. Your point is brilliant. Your message is definitely part of the solution.
Remember to stand up for others. When you truly believe in it.
I came through the 8am to 1:30pm system and when I stepped into a US university, I was on par with the best,even better.
What exactly is this article proposing? 9 to 3 pm or is it 8 to 3 pm. As it stands, the 8 to 1:30 is equivalent to 9m the primary system. A few years ago this was considered, during the annual,nine day,lamentation and woe about the dismal Mathematics passes,and extending the hours would mean additional pay for teachers. As it stands,a teacher’s salary is dismal,therefore many teachers are forced to moonlight to make ends meet. All this was taken into consideration and not seemingly feasible, the status quo remains.
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