The education crisis in Cayman
Sammy Jackson writes: Education holds the key for the prosperity and success of future generations, it is the centre of building human capital. This is true worldwide. Without education opportunities, future generations have little hope at prosperity. Cayman is in the midst of a silent crises, an education crisis. The recent publication of the Office of Education Standards inspections of Cayman Islands schools includes shocking results. “More than 80% of Caymanian students attend schools that do not meet national standards.” (Cayman Current, 13 January 2021)
It takes a moment for that to sink in. 80% of Caymanian students are being denied the fair opportunity of a satisfactory education. We are setting our children up for failure. While we focus on the well-being of our financial services industries, we are leaving our children and the upward mobility of future generations behind. It is imperative that we, as a nation, understand that our issues with education cannot and should never have been put ‘on the back burner’, or we will drive our people into a guaranteed life of poverty and welfare.
Worse yet, this failure is not simply due to a lack of funding. In 2018, government invested some $86 million into public education; in 2019 this increased to approximately $95 million, and according to recent publications, the average amount spent per public school student is the second highest in 33 OECD countries. (Cayman Current, 13 January 2021).
Therefore, we are investing more than most other countries in the world in education and attaining some of the worst returns for our investment. This can only mean one thing: the public education system in the Cayman Islands is broken. It is broken and it is being ignored. What needs to be fixed is clearly not an issue of throwing more funds at it; there is something deeper at the core of how we are using these funds that needs to be addressed. How can a country with such a high GDP and standard of living have lost control of something as fundamental as education, and what can we do to fix it?
These are not easy questions to answer, but answering them is a matter of paramount importance. As someone who came through the Cayman Islands public school system in the 80s, I am shocked that we have fallen this far, and I want to know why, and I want to know what we need to do to fix it, because whatever it may be, it needs to be done and it needs to be done now.
Ignoring this catastrophe any longer is not an option, it is a recipe for disaster. I am not an expert on education, but I am anxious to and I will seek insight on this very fundamental issue from experts in this field to determine what we are doing wrong and will work diligently to put this right. I do not think there is any viable candidate running in this election who will not support this effort.
I would start by saying that first of all, we need to review the history of the development of education systems in Cayman and compare them with other successful education systems. This information can help to narrow down the cause of this failure. We are going to have to ask ourselves some painful and embarrassing questions to determine the cause or causes of this systemic failure: Is the source of the problem a lack of education management and control by government? How do our education systems compare to other successful education systems?
Are we dealing with an increase in children with special education needs, and if so, why? Or are we dealing with issues surrounding the effectiveness of how teachers are facilitating learning? Are we dealing with social issues which prevent these students from having the stability at home to learn? Are we dealing with a lack of technology, mismanagement of the schools or do we require a curriculum overhaul? All of these questions need answers, and we need them post-haste.
I also understand that the problems facing our children’s education might not be single-sourced. In order for students to be able to learn, the first thing they need is a family support system that fosters and enables children to learn with confidence. Therefore, we will also need to focus on improving the quality of life of Caymanians overall to stimulate such environments for our children. Happy, healthy children learn better. It’s that simple.
We also need to understand that we live in a time where there is a great deal of uncertainty about the types of jobs and skill which will be relevant in the future. Our inability, as a country, to value education that does not meet the strict ‘curriculum’ subjects is failing our youth. The world is full of opportunities for people with technical skills and we are failing entirely to provide pathways to these careers to our children.
Not every person wants to be a lawyer or accountant or secretary, and there is nothing wrong with that. There is no shame in being employed in a ‘non-professional’ field. Indeed, we should consider and take note that many other countries, for example most of the countries in Europe, have recognised that these trades can hold bright and lucrative careers for their children and have developed alternative national vocational education and training programmes for those careers.
However, we seem to have focused solely on education with a view to seeking employment in the financial services sector, even though we have not yet fixed that other fundamental challenge, which is fair access for Caymanians to those lucrative jobs.
That is not sustainable education and we need to focus on also providing alternative education opportunities for young Caymanians, such as electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other trade and technical schools. Many of these professions are currently being filled by work permit holders, while our children, who are capable and would be successful in such trades, have simply been passed by due to our very narrow standard academic based curriculum.
Together we need to find an innovative way, a way led by a motivated government, and with active participation of the private sector, and move forward with true passion for bettering our future generations, by equipping and training all of our children with the necessary purpose driven education programmes designed to promote their success in a world that is developing and changing at a dizzying rate.
Category: Viewpoint & Analysis
Sammy, you started out by identifying a real problem. Then you continued by following the same old processes that others followed to find a solution. Results will be the same. Maybe it is because, as with the previous problem solvers, you are seeking to use education as a platform for political office. Let me hasten to say that I do not think that is a bad thing in a democracy. However, the question is whether the motivation is power as an end in itself or power to improve the lot of our Caymanian children. Everywhere you look in Cayman and find a problem, it is due to the small island mentality of seeking answers that were designed for others. No one is invested in fixing our problems but on getting praised or credited for doing something – anything, as a politician. We need leaders who want to actually improve the country. So, which are you? Hungry for political power or ready to roll up your sleeves for the future of these Islands?
Well said, Rick!
1. No fear
2. No respect
3. Broken families
4. Some irresponsible parents
5. No support at home from some families
6. Poor leadership at all levels starting with the Ministry all the way to the school level
7. Poor role models at all levels (McKeeva, Alden…need one say more?)
8. Gangsta culture reigns supreme
9. Lack of incentives to make education a priority
10. Some poor teachers
No shame
May I suggest a FOI request to find out how much money was spent on PBIS? I believe substantial amounts were spent courting “behavioral experts” to implement a system that was destined to fail in Cayman.
The solution to many problems lies closer to home – just ask any experienced teacher.
CNS: Anyone can make an FOI request and you can do so anonymously by email.
They need to bring back Pauline Beckford to Clifton Hunter.
The school is failing our children.
She has the discipline, experience and intelligence that the present leaders lack.
They need to bring back the tamarind switch
What is being taught and how it is being taught gas changed so much. Why does it need to change? For example, the teacher from JACPS would send home some year 3 maths HW for my daughter and the question is placed in a way that doesn’t fully explain what it wants the answer to be, so we sit down frustrated because we couldn’t figure it out until we did the other page. Also, because I was not bad at maths, HW from JGHS would be sent, I would somewhat easily figure it out but my oldest daughter’s teacher would say the answer is right but working out is wrong?!?!!! Like who cares, that is the way I learned it, it’s works and now it is wrong? The curriculum is stupid. We are teaching all the wrong things here on this small island. I haven’t used 90% of what I learned in maths especially.
New curriculum: basic maths, financial management, account management, English, electrical, woodwork, home economics (cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc.) Mechanics, anything that is practical that our future most likely will end up in.
Thank you!!! Yes to the real life experiences!
Education system is not broken. Family system is broken.
Both!!
All two.
Keep a list of advertised advertised jobs in education, usually in Jan-Mar and in Sep-Oct and then look at those recruited. They are continually hiring so called specialists but none can be found in schools or are on LOAN to private schools… where are they? why can’t children get help how many teachers have found time to get PhDs while holding key positions so is the focus on children and system or getting a degree for more pay?
Cheap PhD’s from Walmart.
If 40k is cheap to you…okay then @9:03 am.
@11:53 pm who are the teachers in key positions with PhDs? We teach from 8 to 3 so what more should teachers do to help students?
I tried for 30 years and each time it seemed like we cold fix this, the can was kicked down the road. The last time my hopes were up but eventually dashed, the Minister held a conference surveyed and collated all the problems and solutions from stakeholders in a database with the stated aim to implement the solutions on a phased scheduled. Well you know what happened! As soon as the lights were out and the press left it was back to business as usual. So much for preparing our students for the 21st century. I had enough so I left. I’m down the road by the can! I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…………..
When the Government of the time decided to adopt the Caribbean curriculum and started hiring well qualified teachers from the Eastern Caribbean and Jamaica, the standards seem to have fallen. Perhaps, they need to re-thinking and go back to the British system of education and qualifications? Just a suggestion.
Correct. The first break in the education system was when we abandoned the Common Entrance Exam (allegedly because it created a “class” system). Yet, there always was an excellent academic/vocational option for those who didn’t pass that high school entrance exam – the Annex. The second break in the system was when we later abandoned the British system altogether!
Thanks Roy and Truman
No, the first move was Benson’s and the rest was most definitely Truman’s – he of the worst single negative impact on the education system in our history! In those days Roy was still being branded a Black Power Communist by Truman!
Granted, Roy wasn’t able to do much to improve it when he had the opportunity because he was over-shadowed by his then Government Leader, the woman beater!
When Roy became Minister of Education he made a typically Roy pompous statement about at last education was in the hands of an education specialist ( though he had been selling Nissans for years). He did jackshit to improve things.
Not Truman. He was against hiring West Indian teachers. That was Benson, supported by Roy and Oswel Rankine and Leonard Dilbert and Lilian Archer and Dianna Lookloy when they were in power in the ministry of education in the late 80s early 90s and wanted to “reclaim education for the West Indies from the British colonial system” before the National Team victory of 1992 brought Truman back in power.
There is no evidence to support your biased view. School inspection reports refute this bigoted assumption. The major finding of inspection reports points to poor management, leadership, planning and implementation. It has nothing to do with where these teachers come from or the curriculum but a lot to do with setting and meeting educational targets in a sustainable fashion. By the way the Cayman Islands hires teachers from all over the world including New Zealand!
The educational system is not broke, but the poltical system within the educational system is gas lighting many improvements because it threatens the politics within the educational system. Sad we have to move at a glacier pace to appease a few who have contributed only a fake sense of accomplishment and have dumbed down all the systems made to help students.
My late mother was a trained, career educator in Cayman and retired in 1980 from an administrative position in the Education Dept. At that time she had seen at least 4 years of political interference in the public school system; political appointments, removals and advancements in the Civil Service – among other politicized actions in the public sector.
Upon retirement she warned my brother and I that we were facing dark times in Cayman because “morons would soon be in charge”.
Guess what?? She was right!! She probably didn’t realize just how many morons there would be!!
Can we please change that?
She was a good woman and was not afraid to call her fellow Caymanians morons when they were indeed morons, promoted to the Education Department to get them out of the schools.
To be fair and honest, my own comment was too broad. I fully recognized that not all politicos and senior leaders over the past 40 years have been nor are “morons”, because that is not so and there are many true professionals whom I personally respect. So I genuinely apologize that I likely have hurt some feelings.
But it can be argued that the public service has been overtaken by “moron-mentality” (incorporating inefficiency, unaccountability, nepotism and other negative traits) which is the crux of the matter. The past proves that we are better than that! That is what needs to be fixed!
What about defunding NICE and put that money towards vocational courses? Primary and secondary schools should also have vocational courses. Not all can afford to go to college but if the know a skill or two like carpentry, welding etc then you are setting the kids up to be able to look after themselves with the skills that they learned.
If we have a trades school and more Caymanians demand jobs that would mean less Jamaicans on work permits, that’s why we can’t get anywhere. Our governments keep failing us because they refuse to put a halt to this need to be Jamaica’s employer.
The segregation of schools played a huge part in the public system failing. The government want to keep you stupid so they throw money at the wrong places as a facade. I would say there needs to be 3 major changes in the system:
1: no more religion in schools, that’s for your to do on your own time.
2: employ properly and highly trained teachers that can asses students needs (very nicely laid out below by other posters)
3: hire counselors that are also equipped to deal with child abuse, as in they can visit kids homes to asses living conditions and can enforce child protection laws (do those even exist on this island?!)
#literacymatters
child protection laws do exist and are enforced once authorities are notified. however if families hide things what can law do?
“More than 80% of Caymanian students attend schools that do not meet national standards.”
And this is why I moved my kids to the Brac the second I got an decent job opportunity lined up. The schools here have been a huge improvement for their education.
The failed public education system in this country has been the biggest problem for Caymanians for DECADES. I went through the public school system here in Cayman in the 1980’s and the vast majority of my peers have had long successful careers in every industry, so I know for certain that public schooling can produce successful, hard-working citizens. But clearly there has been very little interest from government to fix the broken public system in Cayman. The private schools like Cayman Prep and CIS are doing a much better job at educating Caymanians. In my opinion, rather than government continuing to pump our tax dollars into a failed system, all public schools should be privatized. The private schools do it for profit, therefore they have much more incentive to do it properly. All Caymanians should then receive varying levels of education subsidies, based on income, special needs, etc.
Why do you think private schools like Cayman Prep, Catholic and CIS are doing better?
First, you should try and recognize a fundamental problem when you make the comparisons … between government and private schools as those private schools do not have to deal with the Special Educational Needs Students.
You all keep speaking about these comparisons like your comparing two bananas from the same bunch. It’s ridiculous.
Secondly, you also have a different type of parent body make up at these private schools. Seriously though, when Mr Sammy Jackson and yourself at attended high school in the mid-80’s the disparity between parents and living conditions and support systems wasn’t so glaring. Yes there was disparity but nothing like it is now.
Those private schools can afford to focus on the best of the crop of students because they have an education system of entry that allows them to refuse students who have special needs that they are unable to accommodate or do not wish to accommodate. Why don’t you speak to the Prep, Catholic and CIS parents of students with special educational needs that have had to remove their children from those schools and the reasons why they had to do so? Then come back and make your comparisons and provide the reasons they tell you.
I’m certainly not making excuses for the Government because they have work to do. But for goodness sake stop the ridiculous comparisons unless you are prepared to ensure that when your comparing, that your subjects of comparisons are equal. Meaning that your student body make up is as similar as you can get them. Otherwise Your comparison talk is just BS.
It’s really disgusting to listen over and over to the govt/private comparison when the numbers, the students, the support systems needed and are not equal in their references.
Make no mistake there is work to be done in the government school system. We’ve just seen a curriculum overhaul this last year. We have to let it work, and to give it time. Every time we change governments we change the education system and we suffer our children to further decline. Does Prep, Catholic and CIS have a change in their curriculum and an education overhaul each time the Government changes? Nooooo.
So what do you all really expect to happen each time we get another set of education experts who decide they can fix Education every 4 years.? When you have the answer to that most important question. Please share it with all of us. Including persons like Mr Sammy Jackson because I’d like to hear their responses.
Tired of hearing the rhetoric, seriously.
@Proud Caymanian at 11:19 am – Sorry, but my comparison is not BS. Firstly, my comment was less about making a comparison between the public and private schools and more about the fact that government is not running our education system properly and they haven’t been for decades, therefore the entire school system should be privatized but subsidized by government on a needs-based basis. For-profit schools have much more incentive to produce results because of competition. Government schools clearly don’t care about competition.
Secondly, the ever changing curriculums at public schools is part of the problem. Political interference in education is also part of the problem. Ministers of Education should be EDUCATORS who will take their appointment as Minister seriously and will serve for the good of the public. Politicians should not be made Ministers of Education as a reward for towing the party line! Politics needs to be removed from education completely!
I should also add that I AM a parent with a special needs kid. When she was was diagnosed special needs, the private school she attended quickly made accommodations for lessons and exams. We were not asked to remove her and she continued to attend the school for several more years.
And I too am a proud Caymanian.
Having persons running the Education department and ministry without proper experience as educators is a HUGE part of the problem!
Every time I think about Juliana being minister of education it makes me sick. Donkey as health minister, Tara as finance minister. What a sorry set of losers we have had running our country straight into the ground. All so that Alden could keep power. He threw our children under the bus for his political expediency. Sickening!
I agree with 9:50 a.m. No doubt about it.
What else affects the quality of education in Cayman schools? Mobile technology.
France, Belgium, Israel, Spain, Australia and Italy have all taken action on removing or reducing WiFi (or cellphone) use in schools.
• the bone marrow of a child’s head absorbs 10 times more radiation than that of an adult. (WHO) has confirmed that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields can be carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)
• mobile phones have a negative impact on learning through distraction
China bans children from using mobile phones at schools.
• the authorities say they want to protect young people’s eyesight, improve their concentration and prevent internet addiction.
In January 2021, the ban on the use of mobile phones in Russian schools took place. (new sanitary and epidemiological rule)
• The minimum diagonal of a computer or laptop monitor must not be less than 39.6 cm, and a tablet – 26.6 cm. The use of monitors based on cathode ray tubes is not allowed.
• children in grades 1-2 should spend at the computer no more than 20 minutes, 3-4 grades – no more than 25 minutes, 5-9 grades – no more than 30 minutes, and, finally, 10-11 grades – no more than 35 minutes.
• the duration of continuous use of the screen should not exceed:
for children 5-7 years old – 5-7 minutes,
for students in grades 1-4 – 10 minutes,
for grades 5-9 – 15 minutes.
• the placement of base stations of mobile cellular communications is not allowed on the territory of educational institutions.
If you want to know how to improve education standards, you should ask 2005 Alden McLaughlin, who as education minister began a complete overhaul of the whole system that was actually working with statistical proof in the rise in exams passed by kids as they left high school. Unfortunately, he was led astray by so-called experts and started focusing more on the bricks and mortar than on teaching and learning, and okayed the fancy no-walls school that teachers hated and $$$$$ kitchens for kids to learn to cook.
Rolly largely continued the improvements but then Alden gave education to Tara who decided to ignore all the improvements and totally change direction, messing up all the gains made.
And then Alden gave education to Juliana. Hint to the next administration – don’t give education to someone who thinks the second coming is happening any minute now, so it’s more important to prepare kids for that than a long and successful career.
Anyone ever study genetic diversity among Caymanian people?
Why are you insulting and hateful? Maybe you need to have your genetic makeup and family history! Sociopathy runs in families too! Insulting an entire population could be a sign of such a trait!
yes we should go back to that path since mixing with expats or bringing them in hasn’t helped overall
There were more than 400 comments on each article about Skylar Mack quarantine breach.
Here is the View point on the most important, critical issue in Cayman …and only 10+ comments? The same goes with View point on The Dump and waste management.
How one should understand that? Because such apathy is incomprehensible. Or may be all is well in Paradise?
Sammy
The answer is as obvious as it is easy. Give a voucher worth CI$15,000 for every Caymanian Child in a household with an income of less than CI$50,000 and allow them to compete for positions in satisfactorily graded private schools.
If the household income is less than CI$100,000 (but more than CI$50,000) then make the voucher CI$10,000. If the income is less than CI$150,000, but more than CI$100,000, provide a per child voucher of CI$5,000.
No assistance to any household with an annual income greater than CI$150,000.
This would enable all children to access the best education available based on merit, reintegrate the schools, start to recreate a single cohesive mainstream culture, that values education, and save government millions.
The private schools wont accept 50% of them because of attitude.
I agree with this comment 100%!! If the government cannot or will not fix public education, then give us back our money so we can send our kids to the better private schools! And Caymanians, when I say OUR money, that is exactly what I mean! Our tax dollars are going to waste by funding the public school system. If the public schools are failing us, then give us our damn money back.
No. Absolutely not. You voted these people in time and time again so you must fix it.
Vouchers to private schools is not the answer! Even IF it was a good idea, it’s logistically impossible due to the size of these schools.
I went to private and public schools in Cayman. Part of what makes the private schools so much better is parental involvement….both in their children’s lives and in the school. I saw it as a student and see it as a parent.
Too many parents don’t pay any attention to their children’s schooling, don’t send them with supplies, and undermine their teachers authority in front of their kids.
Vouchers and privatization are the ONLY way to achieve effective reintegration of schools. No child should be rendered beyond hope by deficiencies in their parents.
Then stop voting in the ones who ruined it. Fix it by demanding better people.
Privatization would work but vouchers to existing private schools is impossible to implement.
One of the main problems is large classes. TOO MANY DEPENDENTS now every foreigner has their kids here screwing our future caymanians out of an education its simple why brac kids are smarter smaller classes and before we had alot of english teachers now we have Jamaican teachers our government does not care about young or old caymanians.
Why are the foreigners screwing Caymanian kids out of Jan education? Because they are brighter and work harder?
I would venture to suggest that EVERYTHING Sammy Jackson writes in this Viewpoint column is correct, yet NOTHING is NEW! Everything he has said has been said over and over again by parents, children, teachers, employers, some Government officials, definitely many prospective and successful political candidates and “the man in the street”. He asks “do we overhaul our curriculum”? Note, that has been done by almost every new Government in the last 30-40 years and hasn’t helped!
Mr. Jackson’s assertion about vocational/trade schools and apprenticeship programs (he defined same without using that term) is “spot on” (to quote a poster) but, again, not NEW in the discourse on this subject year after year. As I’ve previously mentioned, he’s not the first political hopeful to campaign on this topic with similar opinions. Some of those were successful in getting elected, some have become political “stalwarts” on the landscape. Yet, WHY has very little discussed or suggested in Mr. Jackson’s column come to pass – except constant “revamping” of the curriculum?? Because NO Government has had the true will to make real improvements (many never had the skill)!!
In his breakdown of the funds spent on education, Mr. Jackson does not define what portion is spent on “filler” – such as award-winning school buildings, perhaps the latest computers/classroom technology, increased school bus contracts, etc., as opposed to what portion is spent on quality teachers and other crucial yet less tangible aspects of delivering a valid and beneficial education product – but his point is well made!
So, Mr. Jackson, you’ve thrown down the gauntlet – essentially saying “all these things must or should be done, elect me and I will do them”. Fair enough but how do we know you’re any different from all the previous “lip service merchants” on this subject? Good luck, we’ll be watching!
See, personally I would suggest something like “put your money where your mouth is” – such as people like Michael Myles and the DeMercados has been proven to do and continue doing. Mr. Jackson, you’ve been a successful, established attorney for many years now (i.e. not necessarily having to remain focused on “working your way up”) and unless I’m missing something or perhaps you’ve been very vocally active anonymously, I’ve not previously seen much input from you on matters civic or political, in our community. Obviously, you seem to have realized your interest and possible value in such matters relatively recently – just saying. But here’s your chance.
On a closing note, I personally have no “skin in the game” in the Red Bay race because I’m stuck in another constituency with only a corrupt, despotic populist as a choice, so far. I lend my opinion as a citizen who has witnessed our education system wither over the past 40 years. I graduated from CIHS in the mid-1970s and every single classmate and myself has enjoyed long successful careers, variously in law, finance, property management, communications, health care, aviation, retail, construction, tourism, auto mechanics.
It can be done!
Actually, Sammy has often tried to help Cayman by opposing dangerous legislation that let lawyers outsource and practice overseas without any cayman training or connection (which laws were now put in place by Alden and previously supported by Wayne!) on that note, watch to see how many ppm line towers who lose or don’t run the election get jobs at walkers! (Just watch and let me know who’s sponsored whom for their special interests). He’s been on the radio about all sorts of things but generally he has been sorta of a fighting behind the scenes kind of guy- probably because he is a lawyer.
We’ve also relected the same morons over and over and allowed the ppm/cdp to have the numbers to control government. Until this changes our children have no hope of a better future!
First of all, great article with reasonable points and fair questions. The issue in education is multifaceted. While I understand that the child’s background and parenting are factors that influence how they learn.
I would like to see the polticians come into the schools to see exactly what is happening. I hate to say it,but the mismanagement in some schools is obvious. There is little time for teaching and learning. Government could have the best resources and the most money, but the children will remain behind.
“I would like to see the polticians come into the schools to see exactly what is happening.“
What is happening?
Cayman has no “home grown” expertise when it comes to education reform. No matter what they would try to do will be like cards shuffling.
There are several successful foreign models, but to implement it in Cayman would be nearly impossible.
The politicians will see that there is not enough time to teach. Then again, you are correct…they will not know what to look for. Maybe they can see that education is no quick fix.
Every new administration, whomever ends up as Education Minister gets to meet with all the Principals and management teams. However, they only see the Sunday best of each school. They cannot be there to see how the admin staff misuse public resources or how the teacher lack emotional intelligence?
Thank you at 8:11 am. They need to spend more than 20 minutes not just the photo opportunity part.
Come in, look in the books, observe the lessons. See the kids play, see how they interact and yes see how some principals and teachers are not fit for purpose.
They need to put CCTV in or near classes and around school compound, expressions of some teachers alone will show you some truth.
True but what makes a Minister of Education necessarily qualified to assess a teacher/teaching methods/childrens’ responses? Please remember that we’ve ever only had ONE Education Minister who was a trained educator – not that he was able to make many positive changes anyway, sadly.
Anyone who chooses to contradict me by considering the current Minister of Education as a “trained educator” just because she was a PE teacher, please DON’T bother!
I gather what you’re suggesting would be the role of school inspectors, who report to the Director of Education – who advises the Minister. But all of that happens now, with no obvious benefits as yet, doesn’t it?
Sorry, I stand corrected. The benefits are that the poor standards are now being revealed. Question is, what is being done to correct them? Back full circle!!
It’s really not hard for our sitting politicians to “see exactly what is happening”. They just have to look at every JGHS or CHHS graduating class and how prepared (NOT) they are for entering any sector of the Cayman job market!!
But they ignore this year after year, just like they ignore poor streetlighting and many other unsafe road conditions when they ALL helicopter back and forth between their homes, their bars and their offices at GOAB or sittings of Parliament!!
Each and every Caymanian child must be evaluated for learning disabilities before he/she enters a grade school.
No offense, but there are reasons not only for Caymanian children failing schools, but also adults not being able to perform their job duties properly or keeping a job. Not everyone is simply lazy.
Don’t assume that Cayman has expertise to evaluate children/adults for learning disabilities, let alone address it.
An entirely new Diagnostic & Learning Resources system must be created to provide diagnostic, instructional and technology support services for students with learning disabilities.
Learning disabilities for which children must be evaluated are:
• difficulty with reading, writing and mathematics;
• comprehension, logical reasoning, problem solving;
• visual and auditory memory;
•non-verbal learning, attention; •processing speed and dyslexia
Many school-aged children who struggle at school may actually have one or more of these learning-related vision problems. Most of these children actually have “perfect” 20/20 vision. Even if they have had a complete eye exam, children with vision-related learning disabilities would not be diagnosed because most optometrists and ophthalmologists do not specialize in this area, so they do not test for these problems.
The Binocular vision dysfunction (BVD) for example, is pandemic. Children and adults with BVD have troubles with reading, concentrating and learning as well clumsiness, poor depth perception, headaches and dizziness.
Cayman HSA or DOE must employ an optometrist(or two) who specializes in Visual Information Processing Evaluation, which includes:
• Visual Acuity (Far and Near)
• Refraction
• Eye Movement Analysis
• Accommodative Ability Evaluation
• Binocular Fusion Evaluation
• Visual-Perceptual Skills
-Visual Discrimination
-Visual Memory
-Visual Sequential Memory
• Beery Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI)
• Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency
Scholarships must be established for Caymanians pursuing careers in Optometry to specialize in learning-related vision problems.
Awareness of learning differences, especially learning disabilities in children, is critical.
From temper tantrums to outright defiance, cheldren an teens with behavioral issues often are misdiagnosed or overlooked as “troublemakers.” However, these behavioral issues may actually mask a learning disorder. It’s important to be able to recognize the signs.
There are seven types of learning disabilities:
Dyslexia. …
Dysgraphia. …
Dyscalculia. …
Auditory processing disorder. …
Language processing disorder. …
Nonverbal learning disabilities. …
Visual perceptual/visual motor deficit.
Does Cayman have Learning Disabilities Association?
I bet if all Caymanian children got evaluated for learning disabilities, 1 in 10 would have at least on type..
Learning disabilities are NEUROLOGICAL processing problems that take many forms. They can be manifested in hearing (auditory processing disorder), speaking (language processing disorder), and weakness in such areas as eye-hand coordination and interpreting nonverbal cues. With proper and EARLY intervention and support, those with learning disabilities can do well in school, at work, and in life.
Learning disabilities do not discriminate; they impact children of all ethnicities and income levels. They can run in families.
Advocacy organizations for children with disabilities must be created in Cayman to become politically organized and active. Embracing the rapid developments in neurobiology and other sciences, such groups must take a legislative route to fight for the services and protections they want for children.
If by “experts” you mean the persons in the Ministry and/or Department of Education Services, you best try again.
It is not crisis. It is catastrophe.
I was hopeful for this article but a bit disappointed by the end, sorry. I imagined this would actually tell me WHY schools are failing. And not the spin from the education dept either: interview the teachers, and the assistants, and the school psychologists and the cleaner and the bus driver.
Pretty sure it’s not that the teachers need more training as is the usual excuse. Cayman is fortunate enough to be able to attract the best teachers in the Caribbean and the world.
Someone needs to find out what’s really going on.
In order to do that he will need access to all the “secret” information begging withheld by the current administration. Cart after horse. I’m hopeful he will be elected and get a chance to investigate this, it sounds like he’s passionate about it. Fingers crossed!
I love your ideas @3:24 pm but the person below is correct, there are a lot of secrets in education. Teachers are not allowed to talk to DES staff without people hovering over them.
Sammy Jackson and Johan Moxam working together are a solid foundation for the future. They must be given opportunity by voters in Red Bay and GT North because Cayman cannot afford another four years of Alden and his protege Joey. They have sold out Caymanians and are owned by dart. Cayman needs fresh ideas and honest leaders.
If you expect Johan to be different from Joey when it comes to Dart – then try again.
Johan is just another windbag lining up for the trough,
Dart isn’t all bad, but what needs to happen is the XXXXX for these deals. The politicians who would stand up for their country and not themselves. AL Thompson has NO BUSINESS on the planning board just like the fired NRA dude has no business on that new board that was only created to pass through more dangerous environmental destroying projects.
2:57 Try and give a SENSIBLE EXPLANATION of how Alden and Joey can sell Caymanians to Dart.
Yes Sammy! Thank you for running in this election. Every point you make is spot on
“There is no shame in being employed in a non professional field”. Very true Mr Jackson, but going back many years, even before you passed through our schools, Caymanian parents have resisted very strongly the notion that “my child” could become a plumber, electrician, car mechanic etc. These jobs, it was always argued, are for foreigners to do while “our Caymanian children” should not be denied the chance to take over the jobs held by expats in the law firms, banks, accounting firms, civil service etc, even when they do not have the academic aptitude to attain such positions. Parents are quite right about such opportunities needing to be provided, of course, but you will find it very difficult to get support from them for diverting children away from the academic curriculum and into “trade and technical” schools. Everyone wants to be a partner in a major law firm and retire in their forties or fifties with a huge pension pot.
Then we need to educate the adults. Owning a trade business can be far more lucrative than begging at the feet of expats for equity partnerships in the firms which they will never give us.
2:52pm you nailed it about unrealistic parental expectations! Even when I was at CIHS, in the late 80s/early 90s, it was the same!
People told their children they could be lawyers/accountants/doctors/etc just because we’re Caymanian. Some of those kids didn’t even put effort into high school never mind seek further education. Those students are now parents with unrealistic expectations.
Those of us with the academic skill set for those professional jobs plus the ambition to learn/work hard have been able to build successful careers in our fields. Those that should have gone into vocational jobs but thought it was beneath them, still struggling with menial jobs. Plumbers, electricians, welders, mechanics plus so many other jobs that are well-paying, much-needed and good honest work are filled by expats because people chose to deter their kids from those fields.
I have heard people say “it’s unfair” that a lawyer/accountant/doctor/whatever makes so much money but yet they have to take a measly few dollars an hour. Meanwhile, those professionals have invested 2 years in 6th form plus lots of money and at least 4 years in college while the minimum wage worker did no further education.
What a breath of fresh air!! Go Sammy!! 🤞