I read with interest two lengthy and informative articles that were published in this paper over the past few weeks. They were written by Anguillians who are each prominent and respected educators. Both of these men discussed their views of the current state of education in Anguilla, and both found it lacking.

Peter Wolinksy

Education is a large and complex issue, and everyone seems to have a strong opinion. As such, the way forward can seem complex and overwhelming. I read the manifestos of the political parties, and while their suggestions for improving education were lengthy, they seemed too short on substance. I didn’t see any specific goals for improving student performance, which is the ultimate goal of education.

How do we reform and improve education in Anguilla? I have said that this calls for two critical elements: vision and leadership. The vision needs to be simple and clear: make this island renowned for its school system. Do this by setting challenging but realistic goals that are meaningful and measurable. These goals should be student focused; they should lead to improved student performance. The leadership requires an indentified person whose job it is to get everyone on board; keep the discussion in front of the people every day; celebrate success, admit setbacks; and demand quality performance from students, parents, teachers and administrators.

I suggest that the first set of goals include improved literacy skills for every child, early identification of children who need extra supports, teaching critical thinking skills at every grade level, and implementing effective behavior support programs in each school, including an effective drug and alcohol policy. There are clearly more goals that can and should be added, but this would be a fine start.

These are difficult times in Anguilla. It is tempting to set our focus on issues other than education. It is easy to say that we don’t have the money to fund educational reform. Indeed, spending on education has already declined. The recent report from the Comprehensive Education Review Team points out that ‘investment in Education as a percentage of GDP by the Government of Anguilla has declined over the last few years, with only 3.5% of GDP in 2008. This is the lowest ever.’

Do you agree with me when I say there is no more important investment than our children, and that education is the key to their future? As service industry jobs decline, new opportunities must be created in Anguilla, and this will require a much different set of educational priorities. Over the past year, I have tried to outline in this column many programs that can improve the quality of the schools, most of which cost little if anything. Yes, more funding is critical, but even without more money the goals that have been outlined can be achieved.
What will the new government set as its top priorities? I hope you agree that education is priority number one, and that you insist that the government commits to making Anguilla an island of educational excellence.

Peter Wolinsky is the Educational Psychologist. You can send comments to Peter.Wolinsky@gov.ai.

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