Dear Editor,

I am at one with former Prime Minister Edward Seaga on his recent suggestion that we should consider revamping the primary level of our education system by focusing solely on literacy and numeracy in the first two years of primary school.

As Mr Seaga rightly contended, such an approach would allow for the laying of a strong foundation that would make the teaching of the remaining subjects in the later years much easier and more effective.

I would suggest, however, that to make such a foundation even stronger, we should start focusing seriously on literacy and numeracy from the early childhood level, using various activities and games to help to stimulate and mould those young minds, inasmuch as 75 per cent of the brain is developed by age six. As various studies have concluded, early childhood experiences are critical to the emotional and intellectual development of the child.

It must be noted, however, that in order to assist our young children, it is essential that we have in place qualified teachers who are themselves sufficiently literate and numerate, have a comprehensive and comfortable grasp of the English language and at least basic grammar.

Sad to say, but too many of our teachers are not competent enough to be of value to our children. I have sat in on some classes and have been appalled by what some teachers pass on to our young children.

If our children are misdirected or steered incorrectly in their tender years, it will prove very difficult to correct the educational mistakes and will therefore further handicap our efforts to correct our literacy problem.

It has been made patently clear in recent times that too many of our children are lacking the requisite level of literacy and numeracy. The results of the recent Grade 4 Literacy Test revealed that a mere 45 per cent of our students at the grade 4 level achieved mastery.

With a failing or failed education system, no wonder there are so many social challenges and so much deviant behaviour consuming our land. Encouragingly though, Minister of Education Andrew Holness seems to understand the situation.

Kevin KO Sangster

sangstek@msn.com