The Office of the Leader of Opposition has followed up on its highly successful Anti-Crime Town Hall Meetings with a Town Hall Meeting on Education, at an overflowing Naparima College in San Fernando West, on Monday 11 November 2024.
Like the previous Town Hall Meetings, the focus of the meeting was not on the presenters on the stage, but rather the contributions from citizens.
As the Opposition Leader, Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, stated, “We have decided to come back to you, the people. Everything we do is for the people of Trinidad and Tobago. So as often as possible, we will meet with you throughout the length and breadth of the country, to hear your suggestions, to hear your voices, to hear whatever you want to offer to us, your problems, your solutions and whatever answers you may be able to help us to craft, to take Trinidad and Tobago forward.”
The Feature Speakers at the event were Dr. Michael Dowlath, retired principal of Naparima College and Iere High School, and attorney-at-law Shiva Balliram. Notably, Mr. Balliram, now a successful professional, was the first National Scholarship winner from Debe High School, which was built by the UNC Government while Kamla Persad-Bissessar was Minister of Education, creating a secondary school place for every student, for the first time in our history.
Mr. Balliram also recalled, “I benefited in 2012 with my laptop I received from the laptop program. Trinidad and Tobago benefited from this program. We had the opportunity to take the computer home and use it rather than going to a computer lab and having to pay.”
A similar sentiment of gratitude was expressed by an attendee whose son recently graduated from medical school, and who indicated that he would not have been able to purchase an adequate laptop for his son when he entered secondary school.
Due to illness, Professor Selwyn Cudjoe sent his greetings to the meeting, and indicated his eagerness to join the Opposition Leader at the earliest possible occasion.
Lamenting the distressing state of the education system today under the PNM, the Hon. Persad-Bissessar declared, “We cannot go forward without the education for every child, according to your needs.”
It was noted by the Chairman, temporary Opposition Senator Sean Sobers, that Mrs. Persad-Bissessar has always argued that education is the passport out of poverty, and this is why it is so important to her. The Opposition Leader is also adamant that our education system must produce the best and brightest graduates who can lead Trinidad and Tobago and the world.
Among the proposals she shared with regard to the UNC’s education policy, she indicated that there are currently 500 doctors who have been trained and cannot get a job, and that these doctors and nurses can be placed in schools, to pick up early signs of physical disability, mental disabilities, and issues of physical abuse, bullying and sexual abuse.
Among Dr. Dowlath’s several proposals was the establishment of a special monitoring unit within the division of school supervision, to check to ensure that the curriculum is being implemented. This was deemed necessary as 68% of our children do not achieve full certification in secondary school. This Government has provided poor leadership in implementing ideas and initiatives in education.
Mr. Balliram’s suggestions for curriculum and educational reform also highlighted past achievements of the People’s Partnership Government, including the laptop program, the National Energy Skills Centre campuses, the Drilling Academy, 93 new schools constructed, 91 schools left under construction, 4,500 instances of repair and maintenance carried out in schools, and the construction of the Debe Campus, while Dr. Dowlath also recalled the establishment of the first ever national student hotline which provided students around Trinidad and Tobago with professional counselling which was very confidential.
Mrs. Persad-Bissessar noted, however, that every education project began by her Government – including the national student hotline – has been stalled and stopped by the PNM, throwing the education system into administrative chaos, social dysfunction, and tragic under-performance.
The centrepiece of the meeting was the audience participation, which was tremendous. Current and retired educators, educational specialists, parents, and students provided their first-hand analyses and solutions, providing the Opposition with rich material to form government policy.
Audience members raised issues concerning:
− Bullying
− The culture of crime, violence, gangs and taxing in schools
− The use of technology and artificial intelligence
− The need for religion and more participation by denominational schools
− relevance of the curriculum
− brain drain
− The lack of jobs for graduates, and the scaling back of the OJT programme
− digital literacy
− STEM education, coding, data analysis, cyber security
− financial literacy
− entrepreneurship
− neglected infrastructure and buildings
− Inadequate staffing and teacher training
− developing well-rounded individuals
− Technical and vocational education
− Agricultural education
− mental health services
− Student support for arts, sport, culture, physical education, dance and drama
− education of migrants
− The need to deal with homework overload for parents and students
− wasteful spending of the Ministry’s $8 billion budget
− Proposal for a remedial school for children with bullying problems
− Reducing the burden of the SEA exam
− lack of staffing and resources for guidance counsellors and student support services
− support for parents and teachers
Two particularly urgent issues were also highlighted by audience members: the rat infestation at the Preysal Secondary School which the Ministry of Education has not attended to; and the Government’s moves to build HDC housing on lands previously allocated for technical and vocational schooling, next to Modsec (San Fernando Central Secondary School), which is being challenged by residents.
In response to the contributions, the Opposition Leader reiterated her commitment to the education of migrant children while ensuring social discipline, and her commitment to increase involvement of the religious denominations in the education system.
The Opposition Leader’s Education Town Hall was a great success, and will be followed in the coming weeks by future Town Hall Meetings on Foreign Exchange and the Economy, Health, and Infrastructure.
The full event can be viewed on YouTube here:
