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Politicians have come in for strong criticism from the leaders of associations representing teachers and principals for failing to invest enough in primary education and other issues affecting the system over the years.
The association leaders have also challenged politicians to show strong leadership and fix inequities in the education system, especially with the placement of students at the secondary level.
The criticism from Linvern Wright, President of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools, and Jasford Gabriel, President of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, comes as they continue to dissect the announcements made on Wednesday by Minister of Education Fayval Williams during her Sectoral Debate presentation.
The association leaders say they are tired of announcements that do not go far enough.
Speaking Thursday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106, Mr. Wright said the Ministry of Education is seeking to fix problems almost at the end of a student's time in the system.
"It seems to me the advocacy sometimes for primary education is weak... If you notice we trying to fix things at the end, extra lessons for the students at the end to pass the examinations. Everyone of us as a teacher knows, when a child comes to you in grade 7, you know the ones that are going to do well because they come to school with the kind of social capital, the manners, the literacy levels and the interest levels based on how their parents have groomed them, based on how the schools before have groomed them, based on the facilities that they had to work with. So the capital they come with is ready for the investment you have to make in education," he suggested.
Mr. Wright said inequities in the education system must be removed but both Jamaica Labour Party and People's National Party governments are afraid of making the necessary changes.
"In many instances there is complicity, right. Because many of us are afraid because the status that is accorded when your child is going to a particular school is something that we all want and we have to look beyond status," he contended.
JTA President Jasford Gabriel, who has been outspoken on the secondary placement system, said he is disappointed that the education minister did not deal with that issue in her presentation on Wednesday.
Mr. Gabriel agreed with Mr. Wright that some of the problems in the sector are because of the placement system.
"I believe that one of the driving forces behind the lack of interest and what is happening in our education system is the inequities that is replicated year after year, especially through the placement system at the secondary level," he said.
"The studies will tell you that only 30 per cent of our schools - and you know which 30 per cent those are - are having 80 per cent of students passing five or more subjects. We have schools with hundreds of students who are struggling to find even 10 per cent of the students to pass five subjects," he revealed.
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