JIS: Head of the General Studies Department at Holland High School in Trelawny, Dageanna Spencer-Hull, has pointed to the need for Jamaican students to be more aware about matters relating to regional integration.
She noted that social studies results in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination have been below par over the years and students have been shying away from topics that have to do with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
“It was kind of eye opening to see that over the years the scores from students in this particular area have always been low,” Mrs. Spencer-Hull told JIS News.
“What we are also seeing is that students…have been shying away from answering the questions…having very little if any interest in the subject whatsoever,” she noted further.
It is within this context that Holland High recently collaborated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade to host a CSME Seminar for CSEC students on the grounds of the nearby William Knibb Memorial High School.
Students from high schools across Trelawny and St. Ann were invited to participate.
“This forum is just a start to see how best we can find a solution to this problem,” Mrs. Spencer-Hull told JIS NEWS.
“I have a passion for students and I have a passion for social studies. I really want to see the improvement as it is clear from analysing the results over the years that something needs to be done to get our students to be more interested in the things that are happening right inside their backyards,” she added.
Mrs. Spencer-Hull said it was very encouraging to see the large turnout of students, noting that she would love to see similar fora in other parts of the country.
“This particular topic is all about us as Caribbean people and we want our students to embrace it…not just to see it in the book and ignore it,” she said.
“When we can get them to come to a forum like this and where things can be explained to them in a manner where they can understand and appreciate, I am confident we will start to see a difference in how they approach the subject of social studies and also in the results of the exam,” she contended.
Ms. Spencer-Hull told JIS NEWS that she wants to make the forum an annual event to give students a broader understanding of Jamaica’s role as part of a regional body.
CAPTION: Students from high school in Trelawny and St. Ann participate in a forum on Caribbean integration at the William Knibb Memorial High School in Trelawny, recently.