70% of students fail to pass maths
(CNS): Education Minister Rolston Anglin, who is also a CPA, has said he wants to tackle the underperformance in mathematics across government primary schools and that this was now a priority area for government. While a lot of emphasis has been placed on improving literacy skills, student performance in mathematics and numeracy is no less important, he said. Employers wanted to see improvements in school leavers’ numeracy standards, Anglin said, as he pointed to the poor performance by most students, with more than 70% failing to pass their maths exams — a significant issue for a country with financial services at the heart of its economy.
“While the numbers of Year 12 students graduating with 5 or more high-level passes has grown significantly, and we continue to celebrate this success, the same cannot be said of the numbers achieving a high level pass in maths. Since 2006, the percentage of students gaining an A-C grade or Grade I-III in CXC has ranged between 25-29%. This just is not good enough. We need to do better and I believe our students can do better. As a country and an education system, we must embrace the notion that 'maths counts', and continue to push for improvements.
“We know mathematical principles and concepts have become a part of almost every area of work and that knowing these principles will help our students succeed in both school and work," he said. “Yet, historically, this has been an area where too few of our students excel. Our employers tell us this is an area of weakness with applicants for jobs,” he added.
Both literacy and numeracy skills are prioritized in the Education Stabilization Plan (ESP), which was released in January 2011, and the new National Strategic Plan for Education 2012-2017.
Some nine months after the ESP was released Frank Eade, a Numeracy Specialist with over 30 years’ experience, was appointed to work with teachers and students across the government education system. Mary Rodrigues, the chief officer in the ministry, said Eade had changed the way students experience maths.
Eade has been working with teachers to support them in developing their interactive teaching skills in mathematics through the Leaders in Primary Maths Project (LPMP). Teachers are said to be developing their own and each others’ skills and developing new approaches for teaching mathematics.
Officials said that although maths in primary schools is a priority this year, many important developments are happening in the high schools, where the ministry wants graduates to have the mathematical and problem-solving skills that will be relevant to employment and continuous education in their futures. At the secondary level, units of study are also being developed to encourage students to discuss real life scenarios, which will enable them to make sense of mathematics.
So far, 20 primary and secondary teachers have been trained as Mathematics Recovery teachers to support students who are struggling. This initiative allows teachers to diagnose children’s difficulties and to provide intense individual support, the ministry said, and helps teachers to work with whole classes to prevent students from falling behind in the first place.
Eade has developed a bank of videos of maths lessons, which will be placed on a website to develop teaching skills, and a series of activities and puzzles based on scenes or scenarios in the Cayman Islands, making maths “real” for students. He has also been supporting parents in understanding the maths their children are learning so parents can help the kids.
“I will continue to support teachers in as many ways as possible, and will also work with Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 teachers to develop units of study which would encourage a problem-solving approach to teaching and improve outcomes for students,” Eade said. “Teachers in the government system are really starting to help children to love mathematics.
"Mathematics doesn’t just happen in the classroom, it is all around us. I want to see lots of discussion between teachers and students, practical activities, drawings and children using images to get the full experience of mathematics and to truly enjoy it.”
Officials said these were still early days in Eade’s work and the results will take time to have an impact. Chief Education Officer Shirley Wahler said there had already been marked improvements in Year 6 last year.
“The percentage of students getting a Level 4 or higher in maths in the Key Stage 2 Standard Assessment Tests (SATS) has risen from 25% in 2011 to 42% in 2012. This is a huge achievement,” she said.
Category: Local News
Pleased to see CNS observing the correct (Caymanian) wording for "maths" rather than the incorrect U.S. term "math". However, why does CNS employ the non-Caymanian month/day/year format? It's really confusing.
As a young Caymanian who studied locally and abroad, I believe much of the potential in the regards to education in Cayman iswasted. We live in a country that, despite our current economic difficulties, fare far better than other jurisdictions in terms of the brain power that exists in our small community. Why is it that despite having so many Caymanian and expatriate intellectuals- especially in fields such as finance and law- we do not invest in training individuals who could go on to teach younger generations up to tertiary level? Cuban doctors rival those in the 'first world' despite the limitations in resources they have available to them. Could we not invite them, as they have done in other countries, to locally train students? The University of the West Indies has produced intellectuals in a number of fields, why are we not taking advantage of their experience and resources? With expatriates and locals with Ivy League and Oxbridge credentials and connections, there is no reason why with the right direction and investment, Cayman could be producing world class graduates and open the available locals fields of employment from merely to business and tourism, but to research, education, science, and so on. The global economy is in constant evolution, and without exploiting the little blessings that we have and are surrounded by, we will be left behind.
It may be a difference in private and public education, and attitudes of parents as to how they view education. In the past, you did not necessarily need an education to go places, however this is not the world we live in today. From a young age, teachers and parents should be encouraging friendly competetion and diversity in terms of potential aspirations. Caymanian students can no longer be told that with the connections and money you can possibly be an accountant, doctor, or lawyer. In Finland, they have found that despite having a comparably relaxed system within the schools, they assure students that there are unlimited possibilities in terms of what they want to do with their future such as arts, sciences, history, languages, and they have proved to rival countries such as South Korea and Japan when it boils down to test results. Children are curious and so very receptive to information, there is little they can miss and if from a young age we provide children with the resources and encourage a well rounded curriculum, they can go far.
It may seem a bit off topic, but it's a thought.
This is what the high schools have to deal with when kids come out of the primary schools without the basic "Reading Writing Arithmetic" skills. How does this come about in a country such as Cayman? We need to do better for and with our young people. All of us. Parents, Government, teachers, kids, all of us.
I always insist on a written language and numeracy test for jobs which involve a work permit renewal. It helps get round the problem of many of the “suitably qualified” applicants.
Obviously a candidates who is suitably qualified will pass your literacy and numeracy tests. This is just a racist comment.
You obviously have not dealt with many job application processes as an employer.
"This is just a racist comment"? Surely it doesn't matter who you are, you've got to have the skills to do the job.
Any while the whole bunch jet sets to London/Norway etc, our Teachers Assistants are NOT PAID all summer orduring school vacations, yet they serve an integral role in our schools!
SHAME SHAME
Here is the brutal truth. If educational standards for Caymanian children (stop saying kids) continue to decline, they will find themselves, through no fault of their own, unemployable. (It’ll actually be the fault of those same politicians who bang on about discrimination against Caymanians and building shrines to their own vanity while ignoring theneed to teach the basics). No business, Caymanian- or foreign-owned, can afford to take on illiterate or innumerate candidates. So what do businesses do? Either they are told they must take on inadequately-educated Caymanians, in which case they will eventually pack their tents and leave, or they take on more and more qualified expatriate workers while the number of Caymanian unemployed grows and grows. Both options, as we all know, are ultimately catastrophic.
What’s needed is tough love. At the very least, rote learning of the ‘3 R’s’ until the system is satisfied that every child can read, write, add and subtract and stays in school until he/she can; an absolute, no-exceptions support for teaching staff and discipline within schools; and a system of penalizing parents financially who back-chat the staff and/or allow their children to come to school in scruffy uniforms, curse at teachers, bunk off from school, etc. So tough school-heads are needed. Replace those within the system until it is led by people (Caymanian or not) who support that approach, from politicians through the civil service to school heads. And forget all that rubbish we hear about “educators”, schools’ “excellence”, solutions, delivering education, everyone a winner etc. It leads an inadequate system to feel good about itself when in fact it’s an utter disgrace.
Have I said enough? The system, which after all is devised, owned and run by Caymanians and should therefore be especially aware of the trust placed on it, is in fact condemning a whole generation of other Caymanians with its complacency, its platitudes and its sheer incompetence. It makes me SO angry.
I'm sorry, but what is 'MATHS" — maybe someone else needs to go to school.
CNS: "Maths" is the standard abreviation for mathematics in the UK. In the US they use "math".
Oh dear, has it really sunk this low?
@CNS – We are a British Territory… Maths is more appropriate…
That's a tiny glimmer of a much larger issue.
Yes, too much mindless American TV leaves too many people acting like mindless American TV zombies.
I wrote the original post.
As CNS helpfully points out, mathS is short for mathematicS. Plural.
"Math" is an idle abbreviation.
Spelling 0/10
Are there people really that ignorant?
Yes, obviously there ARE people that ignorant.
Try noting that we are a British Territory, not a US proxy state. Therefore MATHS is an appropriate spelling and not the inventedidleness of a former colony who can't get over the fact that they owe their 'independence' to the French. Could this be why they pronounce herbs as ERBS?
The poster was absolutely correct in their judgement and should be applauded not criticised by a cotton picking idiot.
If anyone who worked with me referred to "math" instead of "maths", or, "check" instead of "cheque", omitted the "u" from words containing "ou" etc. then they would be given one warning that it is unacceptable and were they to err again they would be put on the "Going Nowhere If I Have Anything To Do With It" pile.
Since we are not an American Overseas Territory, but a British one, MATHS is the correct abbreviation for mathematics. Maybe you need to go to school?
Let's be real here. There are several failings across the system. Not just in teaching Math but in the Sciences too. However, let us also talk about the failings on the part of the Parent/s. One cannot compare public school to private school unless we take a holistic approach. There are no fees paid to attend public school and that in itself has created an attitude that "It"s the Government's responsibility". When parents have to pay for EDUCATION there is a different approach towards the outcome. There are many many good parents who don't pay for EDUCATION but take the right attitude towards it, but they are outnumbered unfortunately. We all know and have seen it, heard it and experienced it.
When PTA, Reporting Sessions, Teacher/Parent Meetings and other requests for parental support take place, the attend is poor. How many parents in the public school system have NEVER showed up to any of these meetings. The schools can call very important meetings and the attendance still reflects the minority of students. When the basic rules are put in place for attendance, attire, homework, prep study, after-school required sessions we hear nothing but complaints. Some parents carry on so bad that you have to wonder or just stand there shaking your head.
We have seen massive arguments about parents wanting to buy their boys big droopy pants rather than fitted ones but we have never heard those parents argue or carry on to ensure that homework was provided or done, or that attendance byparents at school meetings or reporting sessions was mandatory. We see the majority of parents wake up and notice something is wrong when the child isn't allowed to take part in the graduation exercise or the school leaving ceremonies.
I agree there is much work to be done, but much work has been done. The real problem is that we haven't had both the parents and educators hand in hand with the agendas. Our Caymanian society hasn't pushed EDUCATION as 'the only way out' like some other nations, or that EDUCATION is 'an absolute requirement' and not just something else that you have to do.
Some students walk into school with empty school bags, void of text books, exercise books and even pencils. They don't have environments at home that are conducive to study or learning. Many secondary students don't know what it is like to stay after school and study in the library rather than just pile out of the gate at 3:05pm with uniforms array and cell phones out.
The Government alone cannot fix the problem. Society on a whole has to change the way that EDUCATION is viewed. Our children must be taught from home that EDUCATION is their ONLY option. You can have one million agendas and various initiatives but until schools, parents and students have the same 20/20 vision we cannot expect to see any better than a blind man and just feel our way to the finish line.
I am a single parent of 4 children, I examined my own short comings and sought assistance and found ways for me to improve and support my children in a more effective manner. I took advantage of the various support sessions offered though places like The Family Resource Centre and the Department of Counselling Services. All of their family support sessions are free to the public. Together we can make a difference. I was not a bad parent, I just wanted to be a better parent, so that my children can be the best that they can be in all that they can do.
Brilliant. Bless you and good luck
There are a significant number of people in the world who think that people with a good education are "high falootin". Just ask the former premier.
The root cause of the education problem in Cayman is found both at the top (the premier and heads of the Ministry of Education and the Department of Education) and the bottom (the parents) of Caymanian culture; both resent education and educated people.
Where do the Minister of Education and Chief Officer Rodriguez send their children to school? Surely not to the government schools they claim to be so optimistic about. Say what you will about Shirley Wahler, but at least she demonstrated her belief in the system by having all of her children in public school from start to finish. It speaks volumes that the Minister, CO, and most of the Caymanian teachers don’t believe in the system enough to put their children there…these results simply expose what insiders have known for years…that’s why their kids are in private school while they give us lip service about progress.
Hear Hear!!
Neither did most Education Ministers in past years!
Btu then again, Dart has had the amazing grace to promise them a new West Bay (private) school for their use!
Firstly, I am a Caymianian teacher, and have seen just abut every side of this system, including the viewpoint of a student. I graduated at the top of my class, with Grades 1 and 2 in my CXCs. The biggest problem with our education system is not the students, nor the teachers, but the curriculum which they are being subjected to. Ms. Jones is expected to teach a 6-year old to solve: 27 + 20 + 5 MENTALLY, which is quite ridiculous. The curriculum is not age-appropriate as we are now using materials from the UK. Students in the UK begin RECEPTION at age 5, and have a whole lot of home support. Students in the Cayman Islands begin Year 1 at age 4yrs, 9 months. Thus, the youngest child in Cayman's Year 1 is one year and three months YOUNGER than the youngest child in UK's Reception. That is disadvantage #1.
The second biggest disadvantage is that the curriculum is ridiculously vague, (FYI, it is a carbon copy of the UK and New Zealand curricula) and has been acknowledged as a failure by the UK and other countries. Why are we using a failing curriculum? Why not adopt a curriculum which is known to work? It is evident that countries such as Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica have working systems which produce high caliber students on minimal budgets. Parents do not understand the leveling system, and every year, they have to learn a new set of levels in order to keep up with the expectations of their children.
Our government has little money, and are loathe to inject it into our education system. The students have not had new textbooks or workbooks for Science, Social Studies or Language Arts (on a full scale) since I entered the school system in 2005. That means that teachers spend valuable planning time photocopying homework, class work, stories, and newsletters. Half the time we don't even have paper, toner, or a working copier. This also means that parents cannot fully see the progression of topics in these subjects, and students have no texts to study from if they miss a class, or do not complete their assignments on time.
Struggling students are not given the attention that they need because half of the class requires extra assistance, and there is one teacher, who is expected to reach every student and have them up to grade level by the end of the year. It is a daunting task, which can be very frustrating to teachers. Our goal is for students to learn at least 75% of what is covered in class, but that is just not happening! I assure you, teachers are most depressed by the statistics released through this FOI.
Another thing is that because students have such difficulty with their lessons, they are more likely to act out and waste time. A student who wastes time is not using his or her brainpower to gain knowledge, and often causes other students to be distracted. I'm sure you can see where this train of thought is headed. In my opinion, the teachers that get the most out of their classes, are the ones that endup being classed as "mean". I do not know a single teacher who wishes to come across as mean or not compassionate. We all love children very much, and truly want the very best for our students.
There are also a lot of children who are going hungry. The cost of living is ridiculous, and it is having a drastic effect on children. Hungry minds do not take in very much. In truth, it is time for our Chief Education Officer to take a stand, and make some demands of our minister. I should also mention that the 40 "Chiefs" we have at the Education Department / Ministry of Ed. need to get up off their very well paid behinds, stop dictating, and HELP A CHILD!!! We don't pay you $120,000+ to sit on your behind in A/C all day! We "Indians" are drowning in paperwork!
Well said teacher!! stand up and be counted and put Mr. poppy-show Roulston to shame. Ever since he took education over, he believes that he knows everything, and what he dont know is that he is a part of Cayman's failure in general. He as a polition has failed the children when he comes beforeHer Majesty's Court and teach them how to lie by pleading not guilty to charges brought against him. He is no example to the schools. At least they failed in school and its still left to see if some of these same children don't have more morals than him.
Not everyone tends to be apolitition. He should be ashame to publish such report after ready the conditions as laid out by the teaches. The Government has failed us thats why our childing are failing too. SHAME!!!!
When I was 6 I would have had no problem doing that sum mentally.
Firstly understand that I am NOT disagreeing with your viewpoint or berrating your commendable achievements.
I would however like to make my fellow Caymanians aware of the Education Gap that we lag behind.
“Hawksbill” was top of his / her class w 1 & 2’s in CXC.
By comparrison, BOTH my children achieved 9 A’s at GCSE, with 5 & 6 Distinctions each, yet they were only in the top 5 of their Class in Jamaica. (Yes, I sent them there for school, because there is a deficit of Discipline in our own schools, because of poor parenting).
The rest of the World has already past us by. What we need is a plan to help our children ‘catch-up’ before it is too late.
As another poster said, restoring Discipline is the key to turning our schools and country around.
Hawksbill, I hope you don't teach maths.
The difference between 5 years and 4 years, 9 months is 3 months, not 1 year and 3 months.
The purpose of any educational system is to produce employees capable of filling the top jobs in society. We are now producing far too many who are eminently qualified for the job of Premier. It is time to tell those kids to lower their expectations, and guide them towards becoming lawers, doctors, teachers, engineers, accoutants, and other careers that earn less but are just as fulfilling.
Exactly. My son is in college and my father harrasses him constantly telling him that he doesn't need to go to college because the Premier didn't. I don't have a college degree but I'm making sure that every single one of my children get their degrees. I want better for my children not less. They also have summer jobs so they are getting experience in work as well.
I wish I could make a bet with the public that during the next few months, candidates will once again talk about increasing the salaries of teachers.
poster 10:25 CPA could stand for a lot of things ! but next to rolston anglin name it stands for certified public accountant, and for the poster talking about his /her 5 year old reading the bible sounds like the kid will need it with all that anger that’s coming out of you. and by the way many successful people have come out of government schools.
Mkinister you have had 3.5 years to act and 4 months prior to the election is when you decide to even acknowledge the issue ? Are you going to blame Mac for this as well? You have no business in political office and you know it. Thank God there are some new sensible educated Caymanians coming forward this election. You sir are a train wreck. I am beginning to wonder if something you are doing is clouding your judgement.
Don’t be overly alarmed. This statistic is but one of many which have come about as a result of concerted efforts by this and previous administrations to maintain a low level of education throughout the voting public. For them, it has worked thus far.
Wow, so only 38% passed??
Thank you for the literal LOL!
How are they graduating if they are failing math????? What are we paying the math teachers for then? Are they really certified math teachers? 70%?? You may as well say 100%. How long did it take the Ministry of Education that 70% was failing? I think this has been going on for years and years. That is why we have to hire foreigners cause these kids that are graduating can't ad 1+1 , can't spell and I am sure can't read that well either!!!!
Well that just about rounds up what is wrong, a spelling and grammatical nightmare from someone who obviously thinks they are educated. No hope at all.
Let me tell you about Cayman. We send our little ones to school so young because we are either single parents or two greedy ones. These kids are not loved in their schools, they are sometimes bullied and longing to be with Mummy and yet they are depressed in those hell-holes. I remember my little one took a few treasures to school and by the end of the day, they had all been stolen.
I will not send my lamb to your slaughter, Government. She's 5 years old, fluent in 2 languages, passable in four and times tables are a joke. She reads a Bible story fluently every day, chooses by her own volition to learn about God and is so full of love. This child has made me live again. Screw the schools, screw the politicians and to hell with the ridiculous system that compels our children to become money magnets.
Remember the words of the Master, "No person can serve God and money."
What are you bringing your children up to serve? Do not put your children in government schools unless you hate them. Brac…I don't know, but Cayman I do. Education Ministers….what a joke. You don't care a damn.
Speak for yourself! I can serve God and money: it’s called multi-tasking.
Explains why we cant get a budget together…
How? Are the failing school kids doing the budget?
Woulda been better that the disasters McDiktater crushed us with, or what the PPM ended their relevancy with. Both parties celebrate their own "brilliance" thus: "Hail fellow well met (having met on the island). How about a high…um… a high… um… hang on a minute… high…ya mon, soon come, er… one, two three, …er… um… one, two, three… FOUR, yes four… um… five – right. HIGH FIVE!"
What?
Sad and pathetic.
Math is not the only problem.
The illiteracy rate is astounding.
Wat meen dat iliceraty?
Back in time, when I was at school.
It was prohibited a use of calculator or any other devices that could have a calculator, such, watches, ruller with calculator and more…
Also the cell phone was that huge motorola or nokia and it wasn't acessible because of the high price on it. And because of it, we were forced to use our brain when it comes to math.
Today for example, If you want to buy 3 things and want to know the total, automaticaly you will grab your cell phone and do the calculation. It's so much easier. Not that we don't know how to do math but we became lazy with the technology.
Perhaps this is the root cause of the 2,000+ unemployed Caymanians? The obvious solution is to require employers to lower the bar for Caymanian applicants so they can replace the better educated Expats. We simply can’t tolerate businesses requiring applicant skills that our schools can’t teach. McKeeva Bush is an excellent example of how high one can climb with absolutely no math or English skills.
This certainly is no laughing matter…
70%! That is like 8 out of every 10 isn't it?
people can come up with statistics for anything…at least forfty percent of people know that…..
Forfty? There is the problem, you invent new numbers.
Fortify?
Is that ten numbers more than thirtify and ten numbers less than fiftyity?
No, it is the mystery ten numbers between forty and fifty which allow for creative budgeting, skimming of bribes etc.
Yet, our politicians spend $150 million dollars on NEW buildings and contracts for their buddies instead of better teachers and program to stem the flow of illiteracy and numeracy failures. As I said one hundred tmes during that project, "Books not bricks". While we built that monster we doomed dozens of children that could have been better served with learning programs.
We only have around 6000 students. Smaller than a small county in a rural town. This is not rocket science and should be easy to fix, but we have to start with the dead weight at the very top. I'm sorry, but I feel this needs to start at the top and Ms. Rodriguez with her 25 years in Civil Service is to BLAME and SHAME. Ms. Wahler too. What other place would allow senior administrators to fail so miserably for song long and be rewarded with top salaries?
Parents must take some blame too. Get on your hoem computer and find out what level your child should be working at. If not getting the education at school, then take it into the home to succeed.
The dead wood must go. Thank our long-term teachers for their efforts, but bring in some new blood that posses the advanced skills to quickly fix this problem. Tenure needs to go out the window and we need expert teachers, not cuddles and soon come.
It truly is astounding that he people in charge let this happen. 70% fail rate, c’mon people, whattahell?
I agree with you but I must emphasize that parents do need to be involved on a daily basis. In my opinion, that is the biggest piece of the puzzle which contintues to be missing. Teachers can only do some much and often have limited budgets. I know teachers who have bought school supplies out of their own pockets and even have to feed children breakfast as they turn up hungry to school. A lot of parents nowadays don't give a shit about their children and are just glad when they can push them off on someone else (hence schools and teachers). When teachers try to discipline or move a child forward, the parents are often the biggest obstacles. The problem is that at the end of the year, the teachers are exhausted having to deal with those kind of kids and their parents and are eager to move them on, whether they should be moved or not. Who can blame them?
I understand that some parents themselves struggled with school and literacy, but wouldn't you then want better for your children?
I have two kids in a private school here on Island and my husband and I are amazed how much we have to be involved with home work, studying, practicing etc etc on a daily basis, despite paying almost CI$ 2,000 a month to the school. So don't be fooled! The world has changed and the bar is being set higher and higher so it is up to the parents AND the child to do their part. You can not teach someone who does not want to be taught!
So before everyone looks at government again to fix this and that, please take a long and hard look at home and ask yourself what you can do to change this situation!
So you have figured out for yourself that it must be the teachers? And changing the experianced teachers for new ones should solve the problem? And when that doesn't work who then gets the BLAME and SHAME? Lets see your list.
now you know what employers come with when they employ locals……..
Can we please act like adults and stop the ridiculous generalizations and stereotyping?
If 70% of Caymanian graduates are all the same (mathematically illiterate), then some generalizations are warranted. As to the other 36%, well they can follow His Dishonour into the banking business. Prospetiry soon come mon.
the kids have no future…. a bad combination of poor parenting and the usual caymanian entitlement culture……..
its a competitive global workplace and caymanians will get left behind….no matter how many twisted, protectionist, rollover type policies they try and bring in…..
What about the teachers? We are what we eat and what we absorb intellectually? Do they encourage? their teaching skills? qualifications etc? What about them gangs that come to the school and dominate and because they are family to XXXXXX nothing gets done about them? What about the high rate of divoces that are going on in this tiny Island? Parents cashing in (whether man or woman) and no thought about the kids that will be affected and their future? What about the churches that get funding every year from Gov't to run schools, yet, their prices only keep going up if you want to put your child there? etc etc………Caymanian kids are smart—but it goes much deeper by outside and indirect influences…….
In other words Caymans kids are a perfect representation of Cayman culture. But we all knew that. And we know that it is a big step for you to see that. Now what?
Please do not use word CPA. CPA is a cerified public accountant.
Rolston is a Certified Public Accountant, dumb dumb.
Words. Sentences. Spelling. Not your strength were they?
There's no way in hell I'd let my kids go through the Cayman education system.
We were also told that the statistics across the Caribbean were similar, so this isn't an isolated incident. HOWEVER, this didn't just start today. This is the consequence of playing politics with our children's future by successive Governments. You can't expect to "leave your mark" during your 4 year stint and expect that it won't have long-term effects. Look back at how many qualified Caymanian teachers have left the public school system due to "issues" at the higher levels. Look at how many teachers have left their domicile to come here due to issues with their Government as well.
some progress, not bad. Now let us aim for 100% passing rate – with Math we need math teachers, they have to know both. So many math experts but they do not know how to teach. So I am pleased with the news, that they are focusing on how to teach math.
This totally sounds like the Jordanian!
This is appalling. I find it hard to believe our children perform so poorly. Can they possibly be as dumb as the statistics indicate? I don't think so. Is it possible that the teachers are just inept? Possible, but surely not all of them. Perhaps the material presented is just not suitable for the students. It appears that some investigating of these shortcomings is taking place, and I hope the causes of the poor grades comes to light. I also hope that Mr. Anglin will not hesitate to call in people able to find the reasons for such poor performance and take action to give our children the education necessary to succeed in these tough times.
Alot of our children in Grand Cayman are coming from very bad environments and broken homes. When alittle child comes to school in the morning and ask s the teacher if he or she can hold their head down on the desk because they all broken up because their mother did not come home until 2 Oclock, and the other kid says Teacher can I put my head on the desk too because I had no sleep as the cops was at the house to my father for drugs or to search for a gun etc etc. How the hell can children living like this pass an exam. We really need to blame ourselves as much as the education system. Then again these kids live on their blackberrys and the what have you phones. These children should never have such.
No more children for you!
Yes, we do wonder why there are so many expats here who can't count to five.
The education system will not improve untill some basic things are implemented. Why these things are not done already is beyond me. My suggestions for improving education are.
1. Have the child start school at an older age. (5-6) instead of (4-5) this will also allow them to graduate at a later age (17-18) instead of (15-16)
2. Create an early carriculum heavy on math and english. This will ensure that the foundation needed in later years are understood at an adequate level.
3. Do not promote a child to the next year untill they have passed the current year. Cayman must be the only country in the worl that does that. If the child fails the year, they should be given the option of summer school to make up the failing subject. If they still fail, have them repeat the year.
4. Provide assistance to children who we know are high risk. The failings of todays children can mostly be blamed on parents who are ignorant and unable to help the child at home. Some may not see this as a problem but the children of the imported working class and the uneducated caymanians are mostly the ones withe the failing marks.
5. Provide electronic notification for thoseparents who do have an interest in their children. If the child has a failing grade on any exam, the parent should be notified. If they have homework assignments, it should be listed on an e-board. The technology to do this is fairly simple and has been around for decades. — See Wren Web.
@8:55 Your post is on point.
Can you imagine what would happen if we did make the children who fail, (grades less than 75%) have to repeat? We would then see some classes in the various years being over-run, same teachers having to ensure these kids pass…..so the teachers will do their jobs or leave!! Either way the children will win!
If the parents are not effective or involved and the teachers are being paid for nothing then better to get rid of ineffective teachers who don't care about anything except their pay chekc and retirement package from Cayman.
Starting children younger so that they can finish older will not improve our education system. It just seems to be an idea you picked up from the American education sytem.
And don't make ignorant statements like "Cayman must be the only country in the world that promotes a child to the next year until they have passed the current year".
and caymanians still wonder why there are so many expats on island………zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
08.48- and worse yet..very few give a damn about results 'cos they entitled to a job, right? And no matter if all these damn expats got international qualifications coming out their backsides, and work their butts off 70 hours a week, they still expats and we Caymanians deserve the jobs right? Doesn't matter if we not capable of doing the job just give us the money.
I would love to take a plane load of the people who regularly write these kind of comments about expats and Caymanian rights and have this attitude to the US or UK for a year and firstly tell them to find a job, secondly when they fail (apart from cleaning or bar work possibly, which they will get fired from anyway because of attitude). to actually get them a job, and watch the horror on their faces when they realise they are the only ones who don't understand what is going on…and that everyone else has to work hard for a living. Shock tactics is about all that is going to work…
Dont get me wrong, we have some extremely talented and hard working Caymanians but the rest..the type that vote for Bush.
While you are making that statement please remember that 95% of the teachers are EXPAT!! The don't seem to be doing such a good job with this one>
don't blame the teachers….. i'd look at the abysmal standard of parenting on island that is raising generation after generation of gangster wannabes…..
And so are many of the failing kids.
Expats hired by who?
Government schools are riddled with poor teachers and poor administration.
Fire them all. Especially the ones worth a million bucks, they are the absolute worst.
You know who you are you bunch of worthless dolts.
Everyone knows why they are on Island and many of them are not so literate or numerate either.
Stop protecting teachers who can not teach!
My child failed in math. Geography and Algebra.
When he changed teachers he was head of the class in Algebra and Geometry.
His new teacher is in high demand. He's a Mathematical wizzard and knows how to teach and make it simple.
Not every posing as a teacher is a teacher indeed.
Its OK to teach but can yu REACH? that student? If you would like that teacher to come to the Cayman Islands and Head up the Math Teaching Program for Cayman Islands Government Schools, I will be very happy to provide you the contact information for that teacher that is second to none as a math teacher.
Let's not bother to support the man for attempting to improve standards. Let's just criticize instead. That'll be helpful. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
well look at who teaching them, expats!! what a joke!!
And loook who's teaching all the expats that get all the good jobs? You are the joke!
They wonder, but 70% are unable to work out how many there are.
Rolston has had 3.5 years to tackle it.
Give someone else a chance,
Well he said that he had 4 years to get it right and hewas not going to rush anything. Not sure what he will do now with only 3 months to go!
In the meantime, our children suffer, our emerging nation suffers and their egos as well as bank accounts get fatter.
There is none so blind as those who refuse to see.
this is the arrogance that makes Caymanians seethe. for your information 90% of the teachers teaching our children and education policy makers since the dawn of time are EXPATS! everybody is failing the caymanian children, especially adult expats! yes the MInister, CHief OFficer and Chief Education Officer are Caymanians but look around….cut the crap and focus on the solutions. we want expats here and need expats here, but swallow your stupid arrogance. children being left behind is nothing to be smug or patronizing about.
The only people “Failing” Caymaian children are their parents!
Wake-up and stop blaming Politicians, Teachers and everyone else for our indiciplined, arrogant and disrespectful children!
We have allowed our young people to grow-up like wild animals, with ZERO home guidance. They cannot learn because they do not posses the discipline to learn. They have no respect for authority, teachers or the Laws of our land.
PARENTS provide no support or interest in their childrens education, rather, we EXPECT teachers to magically impart education into their minds.
What we sow, we reap.
Ignorant people justify their problems by comparing others with themselves. That solves nothing.
Our problems are our own, and we must work towards solutions, not try to justify them.
Restoring DISCIPLINE in schools (and in general) is the answer.
Hang on a minute. Who hired these expat teachers? Who is responsible for evaluating them, for guiding them, and for renewing or ending their contracts? Caymanians, right? I know many, many excellent expatriate teachers working in private schools here, and I'm sure there are plenty more living overseas without jobs who might be willing to give Cayman a shot. If you're not hiring and retaining the right people, the fault still lies squarely on your own shoulders.
I think your comment is ignorant! You aresurely not suggesting that expats are brough to Cayman because they are so much better at math. I am an expat, and I did not do well in math during my High School years.
Anyway, I believe the issue is that there is so much focus on reading and writing in the early years that math is not getting sufficient attention until later on. By then, a lot of children have struggled for years with math and it is very difficult to get them excited about that subject and catch up as the basics are missing. My children go to a private school on Island and they both struggle with math. Many, many of their school friends also struggle with math and have to take private tutoring classes in order to "hang on". There was too much focus on reading and writing during the primary years and math fell by the wayside. Barely ever did they have any math homework and it was soon clear that the basic math skills were completely lacking.
Wow … so now Caymanians are intellectually inferior?
Are you saying that "expats" are generally better at maths by default?
In any given community, maths tends to be the most challenging subject for students to grasp as a collective. However, your post reeks of bigotry and ignorance – but I am sure that was your intention, "Mr. Zzzz"
*By the way, the London underground, public spaces, and tv advert slots are currently inundated with poster and promotional ads by the government looking to encourage and recruit Maths teachers in an effort to address the woeful reality in the country today. (Maths teachers are even being offered a special income tax concession.)
Therefore, would you consider it wise for us to avoid all expats from the UK going forward in our efforts to address this issue?
Lastly, the thumbs ratio is very interesting.
I wonder if the CNS community will take issue with your post as much as they did mine the other day, for example – which was intentionally misconstrued might I add?
Somehow I think not.
P.S. Let me know if I have taken your words out of context – as I will happily stand corrected.
So much time on your hands!
You must need a job.
Whodatis has never indicated practical knowledge of any professional field. He must be an academic.
or a politician… Mini Mac perhaps?
i'll do what you don't do …and answer your question…and excuse the political incorrectness….
yes i do belive the average expat is better educated, better motivated, better qaulified than the average caymanian…..
this is my experience and the experience of 99% of employers i have talked too….
again…sorry for the honesty….. the truth probably hurts
You never stand corrected, even when you should, because you never admit your are wrong even when it has been clearly proven you are wrong.
Anyway, a lovely piece of over sensitivity there, since I suspect the non-bigoted point that was being made is that if Cayman cannot educated Caymanians to a high standard then they will suffer in the work place and increase the prospects of the need for ex-pat labour, which would appear to be a self-evident proposition.
The UK is ranked on a par with Germany, France and Sweden for maths teaching but it has been accepted in all these countries that they are slipping behind the leading world nations when it comes to this subject. Saying that Cayman would love to have the UK standards of numeracy and literacy.
It would be better if you stopped trying to fan the flames of racism and division at every opportunity. But then what would you do to make up for the fact you have no life?
I think this was a response to Whodatis's quite offensive rant rather than to this post. Something appears to have gone wrong with formatting.
Intentionally misconstrued, my eye. You are incredible, whodatis. You are completely impervious to the ordinary constraints of criticism or common sense. The criticism of the post you mention was well deserved and a true gentleman (or lady?) would simply accept that he (or she) had been unclear (or was intentionally rabble rousing) and move on.
In this case, however, I agree with you. Most of the countries from which we draw expats do poorly in international comparisons of maths education. An argument might be made for Canada and Australia, both of whom placed in the top ten in maths as assessed by PISA in 2009, andfor Northern Ireland, who placed well in a recent study by US researchers. The UK as a whole, however, has been slipping for decades and now regularly places at the bottom of league tables in maths.
I don't think any of us can sit back on our laurels where maths education is concerned, and what we all need — the Cayman Islands included — is constructive change at all levels of society, not back-biting. Mr. Anglin, you have your work cut out for you.
Mr Who, dig or no dig, expats or none, a 70% failure rate means the students are inferior, at least at maths. It may be that it's not intellectual inferiority but an educational failure, but no matter that clearly they can't presently be hired for any job that requires math, which is everything over pushing a broom.
99% of the posts that reek of ignorance and bigotry on CNS belong to you, Whodatis.
Based on the statistics, students in the Cayman Islands are inferior in Mathematics. This doesn't mean that CAYMANIANS are inferior, but that the collection of our students that were sampled are inferior – this most obviously also includes expats. A 70% failure rate means that only 3/10 of our students are performing at a passing rate in this subject; you are simply trying to turn the statistics into an attack on our native people – which, if you read correctly, this article is not doing. Just because mathematics tends to be the hardest subject to grasp does not excuse the fact that 70% of students are graduating with a severe lack of understanding – there are obviously other factors that are playing into this appaling figure. Perhaps we need more teachers? Better teachers? More funding for education? A wider and more varied curriculum to cater to students with different talents? Perhaps all of the above is the most accurate answer.
At the end of the day, if these students are truly struggling and failing in this and other subjects then something needs to be done by our Education Minister. Summer school needs to be implemented (not summer camp, but summer SCHOOL), extra classes and educational support for those who are truly struggling. When all is said and done, with figures such as these I would be truly astonished if Math was the only subject that our young citizens are struggling with on island. We need to step up our game with it comes to the education system – we need to provide a more well rounded curriculum to our children and provide options and alternatives for those who are not geared towards university and tertiary education. When we have students opting not to take the A Levels and the final 2 years of high school, they should not be allowed to enter the massive unemployment pool – there should be vocational schools and programs offered to these students. We need to provide much more for those students who simply may not be academically minded, but learn better with hands-on experience.
Gee, how you managed to read that "Caymanians are intellectually inferior" from the above post is stupefying. Methinks that lurking below your overblown ego hides a little mouse in a tutu skirt.
Again Whodatis you are so far off beam it is not funny.
Precisely nobody is accusing anybody of being 'inferior'. The only indisputable fact is that locally educated children are not achieving the standards expected and on the basis that the curriculum is (per another poster) broadly shared with some other countries that menas that they are less educationally qualified. These qualifications demonstrate a training of the underlying intellect that employers will and do take as a proxy for abiltiy. Fair enough?
They're obviously learning from our ex leader.
It is so stupid to keep blaming the ex leader for everything. Obviously some of these kids have parents like you. We need to take example from the Brac parents, dont you see how they pass every exam and it has always been that way no praises to julie for that either. Gilbert McLean has always said that you can send a Brac student to an exam as they are going to pass it. Kids in the Brac go to bed early and neither of them can be seen on the street after dark and their parents are at home with them as well. They eat good home food that is good for their development and dont get everything that they want. Most of all they attend churchwith their parent or grand parent. Please take example from them. Why you think you dont have Bracers wanting to run in the Election? Cause they are professionals with some of the best jobs in Cayman and they dont need to run. Just check it out. They hold down the best top positions in Cayman and own the very best businesses. We would like from Mr Anglin a report on the Brac children mathamatic skill .
Did you say mathamatic?
No actually they are learning from the expats that we bring on islands to teach them!! what a mess this island is in!!
When I failed a subject I had to go to summer school.
When I, as a 13 yr old, flunked 2 subjects because I could not be bothered to do the work, I had to re-sit the year. Worst experience of my life, all your friends/classmates moved on and you got stuck with those babies, e.g. those kids that used to be a year below you, the horror. Having to re-sit a year broke all relations with my former circle of friend/classmates, not that I blame them for my stupidity, but it forced a social reset.
It turned out alright, I never failed a subject again and got my masters.
I am no fan of the social promotion, where you get passed on the the next year regardless of your results, and think kids should be promoted on merit rather than surviving an other year. At the time it was horible, but with hindside it was the best thing that happened to me.
And yeah, the subjects were English and French, maths was easy and fun!