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Home Schooling In Trinidad & Tobago - Page 8

So I went to my sons' school today and spoke to the principal and his teacher,his teacher said she didn't hit him it's not like she'll admit it. My son isn't a liar in fact he is one of the best best behaved children you'll ever come across,obedient and respectful I'm not saying that because he is my son and this is a forum where no one has actually met us,it's the truth. I told him that what his teacher did is wrong and against the law and he will have to tell the police, I told him that to see if maybe he'll change his story but he didn't, he said he will tel the police the truth and I believe him,the teacher did hit him and she is making my son out to be a liar, but we're going back to the school tomorrow.

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Tobago and Trinidad Schooling Home

Pamela, my experience is that they NEVER admit it. My son told me of several incidents where the teachers hit other kids (in some cases even with wooden pads) and they always denied it and like in your case, they tried to make my son looked like the liar when in fact it is them. Sometimes I think these people think we as parents have the word "stupid" written in our foreheads.

Anyhow, did you decide to homeschool or you want to give it a try but with another school?

Home Schooling In Trinidad & Tobago Caribbean / Tobago & Trinidad

Hi LDS, you know what I don't see the point of trying another school because I mean this is his third and things are not improving,we asked the principal about moving him to another teachers class but she says she can't unless there is irrefutable proof that he is being victimized by his current teacher, I didn't point out to her that by then the psychological damage to him will be such that he wouldn't even want to go to another teachers class, I'm going to the Ministry of Education later this week because I want to find out about National test and SEA exam and such because I would want him to be able to participate in those at least, but I'm leaning heavily towards home schooling I've been doing research and I found some promising results, I like the Eclectic method which is a mix of different types of teaching so I'll be looking into it further. I can't be comfortable sending my son to school knowing what he has to go through simply because he is quiet and non-aggressive.

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Page 8 Tobago and Trinidad Schooling Home

Well Pamela I will just quickly give my 2 cents and you are free of course to reject my thoughts or suggestions. Firstly I have found out from my experience, if you are considering home schooling, you will never be satisfied with the education system here (either private school or public). This sounds harsh but parents who are considering home schooling do so because they are not happy with the way things are going out there. So decide now that you are home schooling your child. Now as with any teacher, I will strongly advise you to carefully plan whatever work you want your child to learn. I am talking about writing it down. Today I will do...tomorrow I will do... You get the idea. Do a general plan for the term and then do more specific plans per week. When you have decided to do that, go into the Ministry of Education and tell them what you want to do and ask how do you go about it legally. I am sure you will get a lot of running around but be patient with them (they are clerks not teachers there) and keep telling yourself it is for the benefit of your child. All schemes of work are available at the Ministry, so you have no problem there. Now the National Test is a guide for the teachers to know where they should be at the end of the academic year, so it may not be necessary for your child to do it, unless of course the Ministry tells you otherwise, who knows it may be a way for them to check up on your progress with the child. Now SEA is a placement exam so it may also not really be what you want, unless you will take the chance to send him to Public High School. Somehow I don't think you want this option. Now remember you are guided by the Ministry of Education, so if they tell you that your child has to write the exam, then so be it. Your long term goal I believe will be writing the subjects at O'Levels and possibly A'Levels.
Now the part of the teacher hitting your child. Now we all know that it is illegal, so it is not a matter of if she is right or wrong, however it is not up to the principal to report her. That is your job, remember you are the one with the complaint. I am telling you this from a legal point of view and a bit of common sense too. The principal will write in the log book your complaint and inform his/her supervisor of the complaint given by the parent (you). That is it, he/she cannot report the teacher to the police, you have to do that. Notice I said cannot and not would not. You now have to decide if you will go all the way with it or simply to drop it and move on. I will not tell you what to do, that is up to you.
I hope I have been informative to you and any other parent who want to home school their child.

Tobago and Trinidad Schooling Home

Lordryoko thank you for all the points you have outlined, it has been helpful the part about talking to the police was just trying to see if my son will change his story, but he didn't he said the same thing so I am completely convinced that she did hit him, I will work on what you said about the lesson plans I have a cousin who is a teacher I'll seek her assistance as well and I'll go from there.

Home Schooling In Trinidad & Tobago

I don't think it sounds harsh but it sounds like maybe you do not fully understand (or probably are too immerse in the culture in this particular aspect and fail to see the bigger picture or simply as many other people here in Trinidad, do not see anything wrong with the following points or have accepted how things are).

1. Sending your child to school without having to worry that the teacher will hit him either with his/her hand, a wooden pad, a ruler or a guava whip.

2. Sending your child to school where there are proper desks and at least fans and where EVERY grade has its own classroom and doesn't have to be divided by using a blackboard.

3. Sending your child to a school where there are proper bathrooms and the toilets are actually neat, clean and in WORKING condition.

I think those few points are nothing "fancy" but BASIC things EVERY school should have. So I don't think is a matter of whether the homeschool parent will "never" be satisfied (like if they are somewhat fussy when in fact the whole system is mess up and is a disaster) but a matter of expecting NORMAL things, NORMAL people should experience.

Maybe people came to accept the primitiveness of some of these issues because they grew up with them themselves. In the end, is a matter of experience and perspective. As a foreigner living here, I can say that the conditions of the average primary and secondary school in the country is not up to the standards it should be, and I am talking about BASIC things.

Home Schooling Trinidad & Tobago - Page 8

You are completely right LDS, in every school there is the problem of unsanitary conditions even with the Ministry of Health warnings about certain illnesses schools are still not adhering to the proper standards, the toilets are always one of the biggest problems because they are always dirty, there is no bathroom tissue and most often children use the facilities and leave it in a mess, even his previous teacher pointed out to us that the toilets are not suitable for the children, garbage cans are overflowing and the cleaners are usually sitting in the shade somewhere gossiping. Now that I recall even one of the cleaners at my sons present school yelled at him, she mistook him for another child and she didn't even apologize and I was standing right there when I told the principal she said that we all wake up on the wrong side of the bed sometimes (one of her favorite quotes) and she will have a word with her. I mean how much worse can it get.

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Home Schooling Trinidad & Tobago Trinidad & Tobago / Caribbean - Page 8

LDS you are right of course but I think you misunderstood me. I fully understand what parents are seeking in our schools. Things have improved over the years but of course it can always be better. Are you aware that students have individual tables and chairs now? Those old wooden cupboards are a thing of the past. Individual classes have a black/green board and a white board. I can list a lot of things that are common now in our classes and schools. Yes those things are normal in schools now. At least the schools I see now. I must admit though that I have not been in the private schools for quite some time now so I cannot say for them. You must visit one of those schools that have been built in the last 8 to 10 years and see what I am talking about. Some of the older schools are getting there, at least we have the furniture.
Now I said in the same post that the teacher was wrong in hitting her child. I am one who can tell you that the teachers who are hitting children still are quickly becoming the minority. The Ministry is very strict about that. If you read my last paragraph you will see that I did tell her that what the teacher did was illegal and what steps she had to take from here on.
I really wish that you do not imply what you think I am thinking. I gave my opinion and was specific in some parts. Debate me on those things and I will have no problem. I did not suggest that she will be unhappy because of the physical conditions of the schools. I did not go into details when I said that a parent considering home schooling would not be satisfied with public education. So I guess I need to do so now to clear up the confusion. You see a parent who is considering home schooling do so for a number of reasons. They are not happy with the content of the work, they are not satisfied with the security of the school or supervision of their child during school hours, they are not happy with the treatment their child receives from the teacher(s) but mostly they don't think that their child's needs will be meet by the school. Now there may be other reasons but those are some of the main ones. Pamela in her posts mentioned about the treatment her child received by both the teacher and the principal. So that is why I advised her the way I did. Now I don't know where she got her facts that all schools are unsanitary because I can tell you that is certainly not so. From what she has been saying too, I believe the principal is the problem in that school. Dirty toilets, cleaners not doing their jobs and yelling at children and then telling parents that we all wake up on the wrong side of the bed sometimes. That is very disgusting behaviour and I see why people have such a bad image of schools here. I always tell people here in different posts here that rude behaviour is not to be tolerated and the relevant authorities should be notified.
Anyway I say too much now, I will stop here for the moment but I hope that I cleared up some of the confusion at least.