Exposition

In today’s society we place such great importance on the value of education and the
necessity of universally recognized credentials, that often times we neglect the mere reality that
the expectations of teenagers to attain these are quite ridiculous. As a student myself, I
understand what outcomes are anticipated by parents, teachers and society in general, which
often times places superfluous pressure on students. Especially for students of Trinidad and
Tobago the rigorous procedure we are placed under from primary level learning to tertiary level
is unbelievable. From the ever-present anxiety of S.E.A to the overwrought nature of CSEC, high
pressure situations have overridden many students in to anxiety attacks, breakdowns and
exhaustion at such young ages. Clearly our stressful and demanding education system has
negative impacts on our students and in turn our society but it can be rectified.

Countless numbers of students, teachers and families have agreed that a student’s
deteriorating mental health is inextricably linked to the methods implemented in to learning by
the education system. I say this because no proper learning habits are ever introduced to students
as we are conditioned to learn for exams and not for the betterment of ourselves. These dire
problems all grouped together lead to anxiety, depression and an eruption of violent emotions.

The Caribbean’s education system is molded closely to the British standards, which have
recently begun failing students. In this article discussing UK politics, the issue of “Over-focus on
exams causing mental health problems and self-harm among pupils” was examined. The study
commissioned by the National Union of Teachers and carried out by professor Merryn Hutchings
of London Metropolitan University not only proved that there was in fact an impact on student’s
mental health, but it exploited the severity of the matter. 76 per cent of primary teachers and 94
per cent of secondary teachers who responded to a survey conducted as part of a study agreed
that pupils were driven towards stress-related conditions during exam periods. One teacher stated
“Self-harming is rife in KS4. Last year … one was hospitalised for three months in a psychiatric
ward following a suicide attempt, another very nearly starved herself to death, and again was
institutionalised for five months in a specialist eating disorder unit”. As you can see, there would
be quite a negative influence on our young ones if this is the education system we have patterned
ourselves to. Not only did this study conclude that teachers are “teaching the exam” and not a
broader education but it was also stated that “A young person can have the best grades possible
but if they can’t cope or deal with the harsh realities of modern life then our education system is
failing them.”

Learning is not the act of read and regurgitate, however it should be viewed as the willing
absorption of knowledge for future intelligent action. The important word here is WILLING. A
student should be excited and joyful to receive this information and should not be made to feel as
if school is a series of “have-tos”. To validate this statement I conducted a simple study with 27
students present of 6B1 St. George’s College. 17 students have admitted that they have been
affected mentally by the education system. 11 vouched that they were not able to cope with work
and 11 have had breakdowns and suicidal thoughts. Personal experiences with friends who have
committed suicide due to stress with school and life have also proven the amount of troubles we
deal with higher up in our education is too much. I had a friend whose suicide was spoken about
for a few days but was merely a thought in the breeze to the general public after a few days.
WHEN? When, when, when will we learn? How many more children need to die in order to get
our point across?”

This has been backed up by the 10th Archbishop of Trinidad and Tobago, Joseph Harris,
in a press conference where he describes how the lack of consideration for different learning
styles and aptitudes will continue to perpetuate the social issues such as crime, as students give
up before they are given a chance. Not only is this system to blame for crime but he goes on to
state “a recent upsurge in reports of school violence was also directly related to the failure of the
system to cater properly for students who had difficulty in learning. Violence in schools
originated from students frustrated by their inability to perform well. Adults ought to be held
accountable for accepting a failed education system.”

Societies all over the word with more relaxed curriculums have shown to positively affect
students rather than tear them down. An example of a country such as this is Finland. Finland’s
system is quite unique to that of other countries as they start compulsory school at 7 years old as
compared to the UK system where schooling is mandatory at four years old giving students an
opportunity to develop outside of a jail cell like environment. No standardized testing takes place
until the age of 16 unlike Trinidad and Tobago (as well as other Caribbean countries) where
there are many standardized exams before the exam that determines the rest of our life at 16.
Could you believe this? Children in Finland are then given a chance to focus on such an
important event without having to pressure them throughout an already stressful time period,
almost too good to be true. Other characteristics include longer recesses, more private time with
teachers, smaller more focused classes and teachers are carefully selected/ prepped for their
positions and fully understand their role in a student’s life. This has ensured that 93 percent of
Finns graduate from high school and that 66 percent of students go to college which is the
highest in Europe. According to the 2018 Travel Risk Map, which assesses the world across
three categories - medical risks, security and road safety - Finland has the lowest overall threat
level, making them also the safest country in the world apart from being ahead in education.

In conclusion, it is evident with the evidence provided that countries where education is
relaxed and where learning is based on betterment and not a test score, that there is better all-
round progress. This is a pertinent issue that I feel must be discussed as Trinidad and Tobago
faces many social problems. We could definitely take a page from Finland’s books by
encouraging later starts, an equal and level learning system where discrimination is not
encouraged, holding educators to a higher standard, less focus on exams and more focus on
learning itself and the welcoming of nontraditional fields in to our country to lower rates of
competition. Hopefully in future we can achieve and attain a safer and more mentally and
economically stable society.