Some views on Education:

its theory and practice.

Author’s note:

The following is a summary of the study carried out to focus on prevalent educational processes as evaluated by a practioner. As can be noticed from the text, the paper was commissioned by politicians interested in education. It is in no way an attempt to solve all educationsal shortcomings both in the country of origin as well as anywhere else, though, however, some points raised may always be relevant. Due to unforeseen changes in the political set-up only a few changes were set in motion.

The lists that follow give an overview of the study. Click on the items to go directly to the chapter of your preference.

The main sections of Part 1 of the study are:
Aims and objectives: §§ 1-9
 Quality education: §§ 10-12
 Life-long education: § 13-15
 Information technology - IT: §§ 16-19
 Priorities: §§ 20-31
 Monitoring: §§ 32-37
 Other considerations: §§ 38-45
 Contributions: § 46
 Other considerations about the primary school level: §§ 47-55
 Counsellors et al.: § 56
 Church schools: §§ 57-61
 Private schools and parents' foundations: § 62
 State schools' publication of accounts: § 63
 Other considerations about the secondary school level: §§ 64-69
 Examinations: §§ 70-74
 Curriculum: §§ 75-77
 Teachers: §§ 78-88

The main sections of Part 2 of the study are:
 Support services: §§ 89-93;
 School councils: §§ 94-96;
 Local councils or authority §§ 97-103;
 After school activities: §§ 104-106.

Parts 3 and 4.
The obvious objectives: §§ 107-111
 The less obvious objectives: §§ 112-120
 Practical measures: §§ 121-125
 Topics not dealt with in this presentation: § 126
 Conclusion: § 127

Sections of Part 1 of the study in greater detail.

Aims and objectives.

  1. Education should be a strong and effective process to enhance the development of social environment and to be a guarantee of good health, dignified living, and creativity for our future citizens;
  2. It will effectively prepare individuals for work, for positive reaction to opportunities, for problem solving, and adaptability to change;
  3. It must be instrumental to encourage participation in the democratic process, make citizens conscious of their rights and responsibilities, encourage tolerance for diversity of opinion in a pluralistic society, and cultivate a reciprocal respect, independently of gender;
  4. It will prepare young children to optimise free and leisure time and to be creative and critical instead of passive consumers;
  5. Convince that education is a lifetime challenge and an open-ended process targeted at personal initiatives as well as solidarity within groups;
  6. Efforts are to be made to recreate the conditions so that public schools will regain their former prestige, dignity and success, through parents’ support as well as positive results;
  7. When state education will regain its former credibility and traditions, parents will not hesitate to opt for schooling in state institutions, which will eventually become their first and permanent choice;
  8. Other partners in education will be given ample space to operate and to expand their activities.
  9. At all levels education should aim at a complete character formation substantiated by concrete cultural knowledge, and nurture in students an integral vision of life, with its obligations and privileges, a vision which will not draw separations between routine work and creativity;

Click here to go to the overview of the main sections of Part 1.

Quality education.
  1. To achieve quality in education it will be necessary to explore all possibilities to aim at a fully qualified teaching complement, such as competency courses, a structured scheme to make teaching a more attractive profession, offering benefits to talented young individuals, and so on;
  2. Education must project its activities in the future by researching educational thought and practice, or it will run the risk of adopting strategies which would have already been worn out elsewhere;
  3. Quality education deserves generous investment.

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Life-long education.
  1. Career and job satisfaction depend largely on aiming at higher standards and values avoiding stagnation, especially in to-day’s fast changing environment;
  2. Education should, therefore, supply all the requirements, such as high level and quality courses, so that the needs and aspirations are fully met with;
  3. Therefore, young students should learn to cultivate an attitude towards improvement, and become mature and active participants in society, capable of coping and adapting to all the necessary management of change.

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Information technology.

  1. The preparation for IT operation must be strengthened straightaway at the primary and secondary school levels;
  2. It must be emphasised that IT is for the benefit of students, and schools must not be regarded simply as the readily available market for the equipment;
  3. Heavy investment in IT and its environment will not be made to the detriment of expenditure on the traditional equipment, such as books, laboratories, and so on;
  4. The target of obtaining computer literacy by all students in State schools by the end of the primary school course will be a priority, which will not be shackled by lack of resources.

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Priorities.
  1. Much more focussing on the quality of education is necessary, more funds will be made available and invested in education at these two first levels, and more adequate and rational sharing of resources will be adopted;
  2. These two first levels are in a much greater need for upgrading both in programming as well as in the quality offered;
  3. A scheme to identify which areas of these two levels need more and urgent remedies will be planned and immediately put into realisation;
  4. It seems that generally speaking all areas need upgrading, but the primary sector is vitally requiring urgent therapy, knowing too well that this zone is responsible for the further success of the younger generations later in life. It is endemic to blame always the level below, as a face saving argument, which is constantly happening at the secondary level;
  5. Without exception, since all children are entitled for all the education they can assimilate, they shall not be deprived, as early as from their infancy, from all the means for the fulfilment of their abilities;
  6. To give material evidence towards these priorities, all the required finances must be provided: to renew administrative structures, both centrally as well as at individual school level, to aim at a better sharing of human resources, to carry out drastic maintenance to existing school buildings and a radical planning to construct new school premises, to accommodate future generations of students, made necessary due to demographic and urban development, especially in the areas of formal pre-schooling and the primary sector, and to acquire the necessary modern equipment to facilitate the process of learning and teaching;
  7. The shrine where teaching and learning take place should be an attractive environment, with healthy and hygienic conditions, and equipment to render the educational process more productive; and while accepting that the practice of good teaching is possible in all conditions, it is believed that children and adults perform better in a welcoming atmosphere;
  8. Schools that constitute a health hazard to those who use them are to be eliminated and replaced by better facilities;
  9. It is important that primary school teaching be made attractive to student-teachers so that it will become a permanent option and a satisfying proposition;
  10. As from an early age it will be endeavoured to give equal opportunities to boys and girls without any discrimination;
  11. While further study of the report by the Consultative Committee on Education is recommended, the four principles enunciated in the report, namely, entitlement, effectiveness, equity and economy are not only acceptable but highly recommendable;
  12. The present system of school transport will be revised so that hardships that young students are subjected to will be eliminated. It is not acceptable that young children should leave home very early in the morning to catch school transport, and at the same time waste time at dismissal waiting for the bus to take them back home;

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Monitoring.
  1. The partners in the educational process, including unions and private and church schools, may co-operate to produce a national definition of educational standards;
  2. To further enhance educational development, a National Commission for Education will be set up, to monitor, advise and revise, short and long term strategies for implementation – this has now been set up during a Cabinet Meeting held on Monday, May 26th 1997;
  3. A National Council for Education will also be set up and will be responsible for the observation of a charter on the rights and ethical responsibilities of people in education, and to issue warrants on established criteria, for the practice of education, to qualified and suitable persons;
  4. The National Council for Education will annually publish a register of names of persons who are qualified, suitable and authorised to take part in the educational process;
  5. A plan for an exercise, on a permanent basis, for an independent social audit of the educational process shall produce a report which will be published so that all those interested will be in a position to put forward critiques and suggestions;
  6. A qualified body will be appointed to report directly to Parliament and to all in general, what is expected of the educational service of the country, and shall be empowered to investigate and seek redress for shortcomings.

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Other considerations.
  1. Within eight to ten years, all the planned priorities will have taken place through a constant process of consultation between educators, administrators, parents and all those whose capacity can contribute towards the successful outcomes in education; it is noteworthy to underline that at all levels the policy of genuine consultation is already giving positive results;
  2. It is planned that the part that the administration will play in the educational process will be an energetic and effective one, avoiding, however, a paternalistic and authoritarian approach;
  3. The efforts made, and interest shown by educators, administrators and researchers will be appreciated, studied and taken into consideration in the decision making process;
  4. Generally speaking, efforts will be made so that the organic contribution of educators, students and their families will participate in the decision-making process, which should cease to be the prerogative of the Minister and a handful of other persons;
  5. The motivating force to renew education and its implementation in this country will be only the result of faithful efforts to ameliorate, and in no way shall be dictated by political pressures.
  6. The importance of Church schools in the educational set-up prompts the active participation of church schools in consultation. Through their co-operation the standards of education will be upgraded to the benefit of all concerned;
  7. Consultation with experts will also play a very important part in specialised areas, such as, catering for students with special needs;
  8. Consultation, co-operation and co-ordination between social services, educational, and health authorities shall be improved to make educational projects more productive, and at the same time maximise on the country’s resources.

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Contributions.
  1. Many sections can positively contribute towards the development in education: educators, students, parents, societies, economic and cultural groups, and so on. They all have positive contributions to make, which shall be addressed and taken into consideration.

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Other considerations about the primary school level.
  1. Indeed, an effective motivation in the educational process, is the unfailing interest of parents, especially mothers, in the educational progress of their children. This may well become the positive corner stone on which other development is constructed.
  2. Active and fruitful contacts between the school and the home, and between the parents and the teachers, should be encouraged and developed. School leaders can develop their own strategies;
  3. Schools and other educational institutions shall be given ample space to find ways of co-operation and mutual participation in the management of resources so that both those who work on the premises, as well as parents and other social, economic and cultural agencies, may reap greater benefits and capital expenditure on the upkeep of premises become more productive;
  4. It is also recommended that incentives to develop initiatives of co-operation between state, church and private schools be studied in depth;
  5. The interest parents share with the school’s administration should be reciprocated by the latter by a variety of methods, such as, keeping them informed of their children’s progress through formal and informal reports, regular newsletters and meetings;
  6. Building students’ profiles is also a recommendable strategy to keep parents well informed. Students’ profiles are normally initiated at the very beginning of their primary school course, and grow with the students as they are promoted from one year group to a higher one. Students and parents may enjoy accessibility to their personal document. It will not be ethical to discuss other students’ profiles by way of comparisons;
  7. Ancillary services must be given greater significance and a better treatment. The service must be turned out to be a strength in routine school life. Greater importance must be given to school psychologists who must make their presence felt on school premises. Therapists and special education teachers are very important to look after the needs of students who either have learning difficulties or are unfortunate enough to belong to a difficult background. Such students deserve a special treatment. Further to this, medical attention to young students at school attending for their very first years, must be addressed and improved upon;
  8. Parents and teachers are to be given enough background information so that they would be able to identify at an early age, any learning difficulties. This will help the experts to take immediate remedies to rectify the position, otherwise much potential is wasted. Most difficulties, it has been found out, originate from ill health rather than from lack of talents.
  9. As procedures dictate up to now, remedial teaching is started much too late during the primary school course. In fact, it is being suggested that an early treatment will prove more productive and helps the student to be reallocated in the main stream without undue delays. Consultation with the parents is highly recommended.

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Councillors et al.
  1. So that our education becomes more student-centric, it is essential to have on school premises, members of a unit that looks after the individual needs of the student, giving the set up a more personalised approach, such as, guidance teachers, counsellors, remedial teachers, a nurse or matron, and so on.

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Church schools.
  1. The State-Church agreement, contracted previously, which, among other issues, provides for the transfer of public funds for the operation of church schools, is not a controversial matter, especially in the light of the administration’s efforts to help its schools regain their former pace setting traditions;
  2. The State-Church agreement will be respected and its obligations honoured without question;
  3. There should be no doubts that admission into church schools is very scrupulously and equitably carried out, and that all admitees receive fair and just treatment.
  4. It is suggested that a board will be constituted, made up of state representatives, educators, administrators and parents from the schools, to consider shortcomings and unpopular school decisions.
  5. For the sake of transparency and accountability church schools, in the same fashion as state schools, shall publish their audited accounts.

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Private schools and parents' foundations.
  1. Paragraphs 60 and 61 are also applicable for private schools and schools belonging to, as popularly referred to, Parents’ Foundations.

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State schools publication of accounts.
  1. Just as in the case of other schools, a system should be cultivated through which, the state will make public the detailed expenses made on each school, and also on the educational set-up of the country, so that the amounts spent are known, as well as the results achieved.

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Other considerations about secondary schools.
  1. Renewed efforts to consolidate work at secondary school level are as urgent as those for Primary Schools. Much of the effort will be wasted unless all students are exposed to relevant curricula leading to certification that is recognised in industry and as a requirement for entry into post-secondary institutions.
  2. It must be clearly understood that a vocational career is not a solution to poor academic performance. It must be an opening for students with technical abilities, whose services are much sought after in industry. Secondary schools catering for the needs of their students are giving an essential service to the industrial requirements of the country;
  3. Undoubtedly, the importance of creating adequate new structures to bridge the school with industry cannot be stressed enough. This approach has, in fact, been very successful in some areas, while failing poorly in others. The system has been unsuccessful on two basic accounts, namely, the lack of preparation of the individual and his function in society;
  4. The solutions brought up by the Trade Schools Reform Committee have been weighed and found wanting. In fact, a concrete strategy to bridge industry and schools was never forthcoming. A three-tier attempt should be tried at this stage, namely: a thorough audit of the quality of teaching carried out and supplying enough resources to remedy shortcomings; establishment of new centres for professional excellence both in industry as well as in the services sector, centres being set up close to their zones of operation; and the setting up of apprenticeship schemes, in industry and in services, with the participation of non-government constituted bodies;
  5. It will become highly important to survey the conditions to which students on courses are exposed. Participation in organised courses shall be recommended to those most suitable, with a view of creating employment opportunities to all;
  6. Much research will have to be carried out to revamp area secondary schools and the so-called opportunity centres. With the increasing number of students securing a place in the Junior Lyceums, area secondary schools have been impoverished so much that standards have fallen away drastically.

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Examinations.
  1. Schools should not be considered as simply producing certified students on criteria;
  2. Education must also seriously develop the children’s talents, stimulate a critical approach to their environment, participate in creative thinking, and prepare students to be able to change for the better, what in their judgment seem poor or unsatisfactory;
  3. Changes in the examination procedures, and radical changes in the curriculum, shall be only entertained after consultation with all concerned. Whenever an important change in the educational process is required, such as for instance, changes in the examinations system and changes in the NMC, a detailed report will be published on the subject, to solicit public debate;
  4. Measures will be taken as effectively as possible, so that the examination system gains the trust it deserves. It will be possible for students to have exposure to their examination scripts under the surveillance of markers to render the system more transparent;
  5. Candidates with special needs must be given physical allowances to cope with their difficulties, but not in any way giving unfair advantages in relation to the other candidates.

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Curriculum.
  1. It is very important to be able to draw a clear dividing distinction between syllabus and curriculum;
  2. It is proposed that radical changes in the curriculum shall only follow extensive collective research and suggestions by all concerned in the process of education, and that discussion will also focus on the development of science subjects and information technology;
  3. The development of curricula is an open-ended process, but when it has been temporarily established, students, parents and teachers will have ample access to it. It will not be regarded as a document solely belonging to the school.

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Teachers.
  1. There is no doubt that among the partners in the educational process the teacher body occupies a distinctive position, because their attitude can make a success or a failure of most well-thought plans;
  2. The contribution that teachers always generously offer gives a living dimension to plans that aim at the improvement of the educational set-up;
  3. The practice that teachers keep renewing their competencies through research and hard work is indeed a very encouraging tradition which shall be cultivated and developed even further for the benefit of teachers themselves, as well as for the benefit of their students;
  4. Any other forces can hardly equal the achievements of positive relationships that can be created through teachers’ intervention between students and school. In most cases the teachers’ word carries immense weight, and students trust their teachers’ word even when challenged within the family environment. This is, undoubtedly, an ethnic trait that should be taken care of and developed. Of course, teachers’ responsibilities are thus positively burdened;
  5. It is being proposed to study, together with all those concerned, teachers’ conditions of work, and their insertion in public life. A plan will have to be drawn to improve conditions of work, and at the same time to attract more talented young persons to the profession;
  6. Teachers are encouraged to either individually or collectively air their views and beliefs on education so that they too will have an important voice in education, after all, they are the ones who face difficulties continuously, and who would identify weaknesses in the best drawn up plan;
  7. The difficulty in recruiting more teachers will have to be addressed with the help of the teachers’ union, to explore avenues that will eliminate once and for all this long standing problem;
  8. Similarly, strategies will have to be developed to eliminate all unqualified teachers by offering them courses, both in the theory and practice of education;
  9. Currently, procedures dictate that when a teacher gains a promotion to a higher grade in administration, class teaching is completely given up. It is being proposed that, to control the heavy loss in teaching contributions by excellent elements, this will possibly be reviewed;
  10. Teachers are encouraged to cultivate in their students a new approach to study techniques, which, unfortunately, seem to be lacking with our students. At best, our students can assimilate huge amounts of material mentally, but when it comes to thinking, they may not be sharp enough. Students may be shown how to develop their personal way for effective learning;
  11. As a step to maximise resources, it is planned to discover methods, of course, in consultation with the teachers’ unions, to increase the duration schools are kept in use. The strategy is being proposed so that elements that require longer exposure to contact teaching will be satisfied. Undoubtedly, the scheme will take into consideration adding up more resources to function properly.

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Sections of Part 2 of the study in more detail:

Support services.

  1. The decentralisation process involving State school, which was started a few years back, was a promising plan. Heads welcomed the move because it was meant to give flexibility and enhance the school’s ethos, depending on the initiative and resourcefulness of the school’s leaders.
  2. An immediate result was the addition of time-consuming managerial competencies that robbed Heads of much precious time normally devoted to educational practice;
  3. Heads and authorities are in full agreement that monitoring teaching methods, evaluating students’ progress, planning school activities, among other valuable activities, are a priority in the Head’s schedule;
  4. Managerial paperwork, such as, keeping the school’s accounts, tendering for works and equipment, maintaining the school building, to mention a few, do not, strictly speaking, need to be seen to personally by the Head of School, who can easily delegate the exercise of such duties, while remaining in full command, to experts, who are not normally members of the teaching or administrative staff;
  5. Heads are therefore encouraged to seek the competence of non-government outlets to see to their needs, just as they do when asking for the services of other manual workers to carry out works on the premises. There is, strictly speaking, no dichotomy between manual work and managerial paperwork, in this respect. A drive will also be made to possibly supply these services from education division sources.

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School councils.

  1. The format of the constitution of school councils may be requiring some amendments, some of which, in fact, have already been put into practice. Schools that share the same premises may have separate school councils, though collegiality and co-operation between the two entities is recommended;
  2. In agreement with the expressed wishes of the teachers’ union, it is felt that the status of School Council President should be enjoyed by the Head of School, while parents may take up any of the official or unofficial functions, including that of Secretary, and Treasurer. These last two may well be taken by two different persons, instead of being vested in one and the same parent or teacher;
  3. The setting up of the School Council will be entirely voluntary, depending on the wishes of the majority of members on the staff of the school.

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Local councils (Local authorities).
  1. It is recommended that schools and local councils explore areas of greater co-operation for the benefit of schools and councils;
  2. It is evident that the integration of the school in the community has now gained a permanent placing on the agenda of both institutions, and therefore, both can complement each other in what is lacking on either end.
  3. School facilities, such as an assembly hall, gymnasium, theatre, out-door games open spaces, laboratories, dance-halls, and so on, can, with careful and responsible management, be of use to the community after school hours, and outside term time;
  4. As far as meeting expenses is concerned, there should be no difficulty in paying cost-price charges for use, especially, now that schools are meeting most of their daily running expenses out of their own allowances. To go a point further, local councils may, as gestures of support, institutionalise the rewarding of money gifts to be used for school facilities improvements;
  5. The use of school facilities by third parties is indeed a very old practice. What is now really required is to create efficient machinery to improve the existing arrangements, which are in most cases, built on personal relationships, and place them on a more managerial and competent footing;
  6. Other joint initiatives may be considered, such as, an efficient local library, exhibitions of talents, seminars, extra-curricular activities for adults and students, such as singing, pottery, sports meetings, and so on.
  7. To make a success of ventures like these, there must first be a serious change in mentalities and outlooks. School staffs may consider outsiders making use of their premises after school time as intruders, and on the end of the continuum, outsiders may feel free to use or abuse facilities, as long as they are not theirs. Therefore, much spadework is suggested to reach consensual arrangements.

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After school activities.

  1. Unfortunately, most of the education imparted on our students takes place only in the classroom, or on school premises. It is to day an accepted principle that education is also effectively practised during extra-curricular activities away from school.
  2. In fact, there is much wisdom in defining education as “what remains after all that was taught and learnt at school has been forgotten.” It is very encouraging to underline the generosity of teachers while on school premises during the execution of their duties. But, on the other hand, a few may be described as too jealous of their after school time. For instance, it may be absurd to point out that in order to hold staff meetings, or staff development meetings, students are dismissed from school, so that these essential activities, which, after all, are part and parcel of the profession, take place literally during school hours, or if the meeting is scheduled to take an hour, students are dismissed thirty minutes before routine time, so that students and staff are sacrificing half an hour of their time. There are members of the profession, however, who generously take their students to visits abroad, to camping sites, to week-end activities, and so on.
  3. Many elaborate activities are organised at schools, such as, to mention a few, prizeday musicals, Christmas and Carnival concerts, festivals, and so on. Though the work on these activities, which is sometimes gargantuan, is scheduled to take place during short spaces of recreation time, better productions can be presented if practice work is planned to take place after lessons or week-ends.

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Sections of Parts 3 and 4 in further detail.

The obvious objectives.

  1. Full and complete development of subject’s mental abilities, in consonance with the individual’s mental and physical abilities, leading to proficiency in literacy and numeracy, including mastery in IT;
  2. Cultivating the finer human qualities for perpetuating optimum human relationships, such as, tolerance, understanding, community living, respect for authority, care for others’ property , and so on;
  3. Endeavouring to attain good healthy habits through theory and practice of physical activities to suit the individual’s tastes, talents and culture;
  4. Organising the practice of education on a life-long schedule, focussing on retraining, mastering new skills and competencies in conformity with modern living;
  5. The facilities for education are to be accessible to all, irrespective of creed, age, abilities, and station in life, family constellation and background, and financial strength.

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The less obvious.

  1. Upgrading the current system of education, by aiming at an effective teacher recruitment by propagating the grandeur of the profession to receptive catchment groups as early as possible; adopt measures to reach the target of a fully trained teacher complement;incentives for teachers to make primary class teaching a permanent choice;
  2. Introducing monitoring strategies to appraise, assess and encourage the best possible delivery of quality education at all levels;
  3. Urgently upgrade the system set-up at primary and secondary school levels, by inducing much higher standards at age eleven for selection to Lyceums; thus resulting in a much wider ability continuum at secondary school levels, which will cater for late developers with the objective of catching up in a year or two;and by adopting methods to establish more homogenous groups.
  4. Building with urgency new school premises where required, and maintaining good standards in the existing premises.
  5. Offering Heads of School a choice from three options to give them the freedom to create, establish and maintain an ethos for their institution built on their perceptions of the educational process, its management, theory and practice;
  6. to opt for complete autonomy from the central administration, that is, a fulfilment of the de-centralisation process now in progress;
  7. to opt for compete dependence on the central administration;
  8. to opt for a hybrid formula, namely to give autonomy in proportion to the individual’s competence, commitment, initiative and leadership qualities;
  9. greater responsibilities to be awarded higher remunerative reflections.

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Note 1 - practical measures:

  1. Research in education commissioned by the highest authorities to the theoreticians and practitioners. Research to focus on direct and specific themes. The hierarchical set-up of the education division offers sufficient expertise and human resources;
  2. A Permanent Conference on Education (PCE) made up of a small number of committed persons to study and suggest remedies to ad hoc plans;
  3. An Advisory Council of Education (ACE) to advise Minister, the members of which come from Primary and Secondary levels; A teacher exchange scheme to find out how other countries are dealing with their educational process;
  4. Organisation of Seminars for area schools, where teachers take a leading role in the choice of themes and discussions;
  5. Re-thinking the NMC, not necessarily reducing its contents. When compared with other curricula in schools overseas, may be the NMC is not all that crowded, after all. Avoiding the epistemological approach to curricula is to be encouraged.

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Note 2 - topics not dealth with in this presentation:

  1. TOPICS not dealt with: Teacher shortages, recruitment, phasing out the rigid examination culture – assessments; support services in educational management; streaming; effective parents’ and others’ participation; school libraries; class population – especially upper classes; presenting computers differently; continuation classes – extra-time classes; the forsaken talented student – remedies; absenteeism; teaching of English as a foreign language; use of school premises by the community; after school activities – non-academic; school leaving certification – attendance and proficiency.

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Conclusion.

  1. It is to be noted that any attempt at focussing on the educational process cannot be considered exhaustive or final. Besides, as education is an on-going human activity, it cannot really be confined to the limitations of space and time. In fact, it is indeed a healthy attitude to adopt long term planning as much as possible, affecting required changes as a plan matures. It is also very important to consider the critiques that were made when some of the issues described in this paper were launched some time ago. Refer in a special way to those issues regarding the church schools. Other controversial, or at least, debatable issues, are again not dealt with in this paper, some of which may be listed as follows: phasing out formal examinations and introducing a staggered assessment-cum-examinations plan; avoiding, as much as possible, the practice that makes past examination papers the pace setters for the following session of the examination; it follows, therefore, that past examination papers condition the effectiveness of the curriculum; the out-cry that the present curriculum is vast and vague needs further research, especially when compared with curricula in other eurocountries; creation of strategies to make parents well conversant with the requirements of the curriculum; formal streaming as early as possible; teachers’ accountability, monitoring teaching, lesson preparation, schemes of work, and so on. Some other issues still seem to be many light years away, such as creating the Teacher of the Year Award, setting up upgraded courses in the Conservation of Works of Art by specialised experts, making our schools safe from health hazards and outsiders, and so on. But what is most encouraging is that a committed beginning has been made.
    There seems to be universal consensus that the education of youth is an open-ended process.
    The environment, place of birth and place of residence, trends, traditions and political influences
    playing a lion's share in a country's set-up. To end this paper by a quote that encouages teachers to teach
    and pupils to learn: "Our youth now loves luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority;
    they show disrespect for their elders, and love chatter in places of exercise.
    They no longer rise when elders enter a room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food and tyranize their teachers."

    Socrates, 5th century BC.

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