BAHAMA JOURNAL
27th March 2006
Union Leader Calls For Education Reform
The nation must step up its efforts to improve education considerably or face major social and economic challenges, according to Robert Farquharson, general secretary for the National Congress of Trade Unions.
Recently addressing members of the Sunrise Rotary Club, Mr. Farquharson provided an overview of the findings and recommendations from the recently released report ‘Bahamian Youth: The Untapped Resource’ which was commissioned by the nation’s leading labour and business organizations – the Coalition for Education Reform.
"I envision a future in which a large number of Bahamian youth may very well see themselves not having the basic skills needed to compete for many of the types of jobs which are available," Mr. Farquharson said.
"This would not bode well for labor unions, businesses and indeed for all of us in The Bahamas. The world is changing rapidly and the data from our report clearly points to the fact that our education system has not kept pace with those changes. The potential social and economic consequences could be staggering."
The Untapped Resource Report was a collaborative effort of the National Congress of Trade Unions, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce, the Bahamas Hotel Association, the Bahamas Hotel Employers Association, the Bahamas Employers Confederation and the Nassau Tourism & Development Board.
The Coalition says the report is significant in that it provides the public with an in depth look at the BGCSE results, giving an analysis of how students measure by subject matter, sex, public versus private schools, and offers a series of recommendations for improvement.
"While we’ve much to be concerned about, it is all not bad news. Some things are being done, but there is much room for improvement," Mr. Farquharson said.
He outlined 14 specific success strategies that the report recommends for improving education, several of which are underway, but which the Coalition says need to be further supported to make a broader difference.
The group says there needs to be a stronger focus on: governance, teaching, parenting, order and civility and greater engagement of the wider community, the business community and the labour unions in improving education.
"There are models throughout the world which show how through a commitment by all stakeholders, countries and communities have been able to significantly improve education" Mr. Farquharson said.
"This is not a problem [that] can be attributed to any political party. The education crisis in the Bahamas has deep roots. Reform must stand high on the national list of priorities over the long haul.
"Reform needs a sustained commitment by every element of society regardless of one’s affiliation or role in our society."
The Tourism Taskforce Report of 2003 recommended a long-range national objective – to "raise the academic and business capabilities of all school leavers so that by 2020 Bahamians would be the ‘best in the Caribbean ’.
"The Coalition for Education Reform supports such a national effort," Mr. Farquharson said.
The Coalition says it has produced the report in an effort to heighten public awareness about the degree to which Bahamians should be concerned about education and feel empowered to bring about meaningful change.
It is further intended to stimulate a broader commitment by the entire nation to be part of improvement efforts.
The Coalition says copies of the report can be viewed or downloaded on the websites of the NCTU, the Chamber of Commerce, the Hotel Association and the Bahamas Employers Confederation or by contacting any of the sponsoring organizations.