By Darius Phillip
AS students prepare to return to school in September, school officials must remember that not all students are equal learners.
This was according to Lecturer and Co-ordinator of Social Work at the University of the West Indies Dr Cheryl-Ann Boodram on the Priority Report on IETV with AZP News Editor-in-Chief Prior Beharry on Monday.
She said, “We need to understand that all children are not equal as they return to school. Some may have gained more skills and mastery of some of their academics and so on. Some others may have not moved at that pace for a number of reasons.”
Dr Boodram also said that some children will be returning from homes where they may be suffering from the loss of a loved one due to Covid-19 or coming from a situation of domestic violence.
She said it was the duty of the school to assess the needs and learning capabilities of students due to not being in a formal classroom setting for some time.
Dr Boodram said that an all-players’ approach was needed to address the inequalities in the education system.
While it is the duty of the state to provide for the educational needs of the students, she said that the government could only do so much and that greater involvement from businesses, places of worship and the community was also needed.
Dr Boodram said, “I think all of us are players in the system. I think every NGO, every community-based organisation, every place of worship, can get involved using an all of us society approach.”
She said that citizens of T&T have a responsibility in increasing the resources made available to the children such as providing essential books, stationery and identifying and sponsoring needy families in the community.
