my take on school – trinidad education

Partial reform list.

• Cancelling of ALL student debt including medical school. All education – including PRIVATE and TERTIARY (university), state covered.
• Expansion of university other tertiary and trade schools – more are built on both islands after assessment study. Increases the pool of educated nationals.
• Construct more specialized universities eg, Fine Arts, architect, music, technology.
• Establish several COMMUNITY COLLEGES – integrated with University of the West Indies – UWI, numbering several across both islands, institutions endeavor providing two year Associate Degrees.
• Associate Degree replaces A Levels in school – a LIBERAL ARTS ASSOCIATE DEGREE does so but only if the child WISHES to pursue. Defined modern use of the term liberal arts consists of four areas: the natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.
• Government funding Private institutions – tertiary, secondary and primary schools no longer permitted to charge fees, thus students are state covered. As to erase the social divide between social classes.
• Trinidad must have trade school free – anything under university level. Any private school and the like government revenue should cover in subsidy, thus students do NOT pay out of pocket. Standardized fees for all schools are set every two years by negotiations.
• German vocational training considered – as of 2023 Germany an industrialized first world nation and Europe’s biggest economy. Germany’s vocational training program whereby early in training part of the week is class work, rest of the week spent at a company.
• Adaption of Finnish teaching – Trinidad is to adopt from Finland their methods. To smoothen the process Finnish experts are hired. Revamp our education system from the pre-school level all the way up to secondary: masters degree for teachers, end of standardized tests, minimal homework, all stress removed, free GOVERNMENT SPONSORED aide for struggling students in the form of individualized attention and counselling.
• Classroom creativity – The child should decide what to paint, draw, write, say instead of being TOLD.
• End to most standardized tests – taken from well regarded Finland. There are no mandated standardized tests in Finland, apart from one exam at the end of students’ senior year in high school. There are no rankings, no comparisons or competition between students, schools or regions.
• Establishment of a gymnasium – emphasizing ACADEMIC LEARNING, the Gymnasium enrolls the most gifted secondary school children and prepares students for university studies after finishing. Entrants are selected by non-pressure assessment – available to BOTH working and upper class.
• Teaching technique reform – Reform means CXC and academics is no longer the primary emphasis – its holistic too, such as determining what kids are good with hands or the academics from primary school continuing to well into secondary.
• Integrating technology in the classroom – inclusive of digital textbooks to supplement paper ones, digital whiteboards.
• Imported foreign language French and Spanish teacher initiative – akin to English Program in Korea (EPIK) and Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, improve English speaking abilities in those nations.