Our educational system is made in such a way that it favours the elite. The elites are rewarded by a laureate system that put emphasis on the results obtained by simple intelligence tests. The ‘classés’ are rewarded by scholarships; the best C.P.E candidates are rewarded by reserved seats in National colleges, created to lure the best students. No wonder that from such a system, children also come out of primary education without knowing to write or read. That’s because our eyes are always focused on the top rather than the bottom.

 Based on this system, what is left for parents to ensure that their ward gets the eye rather than trailing at the bottom? They are forced to find the best for their children. The best should have been coming from the schooling system and teachers of an institution but somehow or the other; some have found a way of perverting the system. Some have found a way of making it a lucrative business by purposely creating a lack of knowledge in class so that what is missing is covered in tuitions. No wonder teachers are fighting so that the system remains the same, i.e no extension of class hours in the afternoon, no reduction of school holidays because, according to them, the children need to recuperate to enjoy their holidays, but to others, there is a need to cram up the students more during holidays to justify the wages obtained from it.

The Minister is trying to put a brake to this system but is he going to succeed? No way, as the demand is such that the pressure will come from parents and not from the teachers. But then, one may ask, so what do we do? Well, give equal opportunities to all children to attend 2 to 3 years of pre-primary education. Then we also have to get rid of this elitist system, where the best are rewarded at all levels of education. Oh, some will say that our elite will disappear. No the best will always remain the best whether they are rewarded or not, because their motivation are intrinsic.

But who is going to take the risk of breaking that system that has created such a lot of harm to our children and to society? Will the Minister take of the risk of doing it? Will his Political party take the risk? If not, then why all this hypocrisy about abolition of private tuition?

· The author is a holder of MAEd (Brighton/MIE) and deputy rector La Confiance College
 

Lindsay Paul