Examining the Math Problem in the Jamaican Education System

Dervin Cochrane

Since 2020, Jamaica’s performance in mathematics has had a varying trend. The performance ranged from 36 % to 47.3% at its highest point. Below is an illustration of this in Figure 1. Jamaica’s pass percentage was 38.2% in 2020, during a time when Covid-19 was wreaking havoc across the world with lockdowns and the shift to online and remote learning. Nonetheless in 2021, just at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, pass rates significantly increased to 47.3%. A 10% decrease in mathematics achievement in 2022 led to a 37% passing percentage in the discipline. The number of passes within the subject increased slightly to 43% in 2023 before declining to 36% in 2024. The central question is: what are the causes that could have led to an improvement in pupils’ math performance in 2021? To ascertain the causes of this phenomena, research should be done.

I feel compelled to respond to the Ministry of Education and Youth’s recent remarks regarding improved performance in Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate  math based on my reading of an article published in the Daily Gleaner on September 27, 2024, headlined Education Minister Projects Improved Performance in CSEC Math for 2025. Only 39% of students passed the May/June 2024 sitting, according to Caribbean Examinations Council data. Regarding the outcomes, Minister of Education, Fayval Williams said:

“That’s a very low number. It was low in the Caribbean as well, and as we look across the globe, we are seeing other countries bemoan their maths results as well. Not an excuse, but we are still recovering from COVID,”

Minster of Education and Youth, Jamaica- The Honourable Fayval Williams

The Minister highlighted that the cohort of CSEC students did not have the opportunity for in-person teaching during grades seven and eight. The flaw in the Minister’s statements lies in her concentration on this year’s group of students. It is essential for the Ministry of Education to take a comprehensive approach to the system and the students, spanning from early childhood through to secondary school. Children from all levels of the education system experienced lockdown during Covid-19 over a two-year span. From early childhood through high school, the foundation of mathematics and its instruction were shaped, but Covid-19 has had a detrimental impact. As a result, the destruction brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic is being felt. The Minister is correct that the nation is beginning to recover from COVID-19, but the damage is much worse, and it doesn’t seem like the Minister is aware that a full generation of children has been impacted by the pandemic. As a result, the foundation in mathematics was impacted from early infancy through high school. The Alternate Pathways to Secondary Education (APSE) Programme is implemented in our high schools. The APSE Coaches, have evaluated incoming grade 7 students after Covid-19 for the past two years, and the startling results show that pupils’ mathematics proficiency is far below what it should be. Many students lack the conceptual understanding of mathematics needed for grade 2. This is the sobering truth that the Ministry has neglected to acknowledge. To put it mildly, the minister’s prediction that the performance will improve in 2025 is utterly unrealistic. 

The APSE Coaches, have evaluated incoming grade 7 students after Covid-19 for the past two years, and the startling results show that pupils’ mathematics proficiency is far below what it should be.

The Minister continues her speech saying:

“We have hope, though, because when we look at the results pre-pandemic, in 2019, 54 per cent of the students then passed mathematics. We are targeting to get back to that level by next year and then work on taking it even higher,” 

The Minister is right when she says that prior to the pandemic, the mathematical results were higher (54%) and that our pass rates were 38.2% in 2020 and 47.3% in 2021. The teachers who worked throughout the two years of COVID-19 lockdowns deserve our admiration for the enormous sacrifices they made, including sacrificing quality time with their families and occasionally sacrificing their mental health. In the field of education, the Covid-19 incident has been difficult for both our teachers and students.

The Minister did not specify in her speech how the issue will be resolved or how her ministry will handle it. We are waiting on Minister Williams and the Ministry to provide us with a Strategic Plan outlining how she intends to carry out her suggestion. According to Corporate Finance Institute Team (2023), strategic planning is the process of developing targeted business plans, putting them into action, and then assessing how well the plan worked in relation to the general long-term objectives or aspirations of the organization. This notion centers on the integration of multiple departments, including finance, marketing, and human resources, inside an organization to achieve its strategic objectives. Strategic management and strategic planning are almost interchangeable terms. In the business sector, the idea of strategic planning was first popularized in the 1950s and 1960s and remained popular until the 1980s, when it started to lose some of its lustre. Nonetheless, there was a resurgence of interest in strategic business planning in the 1990s, and it is still applicable in contemporary industry. 

Where, Minister, is the Strategic Plan to raise math proficiency by 2025? Where is the crucial paper that outlines the methodical measures that are necessary to achieve this feat? “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” a wise man once said. Where is the strategic plan of the Ministry of Education and Youth so that we, the public, can examine and analyse it? The Ministry will fail to raise the Math scores by 2025 if a strategic plan of action is not devised. 

We also need to address the significant teacher attrition that has occurred over time. Following COVID-19, many teachers have left. In August of this year, research conducted by Professor Canute Thompson and the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning (CCEP) revealed its findings. The greatest incentive for teachers to stay in the classroom in Jamaica is higher compensation. Other motivational factors include greater resources for the classroom, more affordable housing, better working conditions, enhanced school discipline, stronger leadership and administration, and a safe community. As a Doctoral candidate in the Educational Planning and Social Development programme, I am aware that the attrition rate of teachers over time is determined using a formula. For reference, the information provided may be found in both of our country’s newspapers.

We have a cohort of 25,000 instructors who would adequately staff the education sector in pre-pandemic times. The teacher attrition rate is shown to be continuously increasing in Figures 2 and 3, above except for 2022, when there was a decrease in the numbers. Senator Damion Crawford recently remarked at a People’s National Party press conference that we have the largest jump in the number of teachers leaving the country’s classrooms in 2024. According to Senator Crawford, the numbers will exceed 1400. The forecast chart below shows the calculation of the projected number of teachers leaving the system in 2025, based on a ballpark estimate of 1400:

Figure 4

With a lower confidence bound of 947 teachers leaving the system in 2025 and an upper confidence band of 2,217 teachers leaving the system in 2025, it is predicted that roughly 1,582 teachers will leave the system using the forecast chart in 2025. Using the information that has been provided. Our STEM teachers would be among the teachers who would be migrating. From 2021 to 2025, more than 5,000 teachers would have left our schools. Once more, I would want to ask the Minister: how will the Ministry make sure that our teachers—particularly those in STEM—are retained? What tools will be available to guarantee that this occurs? According to research by Professor Thompson and the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning (CCEP), one of the things that has caused the large-scale teacher migration is a shortage of resources. So, Madam Minister, where are the resources to make sure these things do not happen? It is a surefire formula for disaster for you and the Ministry to make these declarations without offering specific proof of how these resources will be obtained to ensure the retention of our teachers.

According to research by Professor Thompson and the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning (CCEP), one of the things that has caused the large-scale teacher migration is a shortage of resources.

One more question, has research been conducted, Madam Minister, to determine the psychological effects of the lockdowns on our children? It is important to keep in mind that COVID-19 has had a disastrous effect on the global education system. Jamaica is no different. Our children have all been influenced by the lockdowns brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, from early childhood level to the secondary level. Children are significantly impacted psychologically by the COVID-19 lockdowns. The following are some notable effects:

  1. Emotional Distress: Prolonged isolation, uncertainty, and disruption to daily routines caused many youngsters to experience heightened worry, despair, and stress. 
  2. Loneliness and Social Isolation: Children experienced emotions of loneliness and social isolation because of missing out on crucial social connections caused by the closure of community centres, sports teams, and schools. The learning and development of children was impacted by the absence of face-to-face instruction and social interactions. They were deprived of the benefits of peer connection and group learning.
  3. Behavioural Changes: Some children experienced behavioural changes, such as increased aggression, withdrawal, and even self-harm, because of the extended stress and lack of outdoor play. 

Research indicates that the recollections and encounters with the lockdowns could have enduring implications on children’s mental well-being, possibly culminating in psychological discomfort.

Thus, the Covid-19 pandemic severely harmed the educational development of an entire generation of youngsters. This is a crisis since the system will be handling around 15–18 years of Covid-19-damaged students who have significant impairments in their grasp of fundamental mathematical ideas. The Covid-19 pandemic is far worse than people realize; emotional distress, social isolation, loneliness, behavioural abnormalities, and long-term psychological impacts are all significant factors that affect children’s math proficiency. Math achievement depends on cognitive skills like memory, focus, and problem-solving ability, all of which are weakened by emotional distress. Academic skills, particularly mathematics, can lose their appeal and drive when students are socially isolated. Changes in behaviour can disrupt the classroom and reduce the amount of time and effort students devote to their education. Long-term psychological effects may result in ongoing mental health issues, like math performance-impairing arithmetic anxiety. Assisting children with counselling, creating a happy environment in the classroom, and encouraging social interaction can all help to lessen these effects and enhance their math ability.

The Covid-19 pandemic is far worse than people realize; emotional distress, social isolation, loneliness, behavioural abnormalities, and long-term psychological impacts are all significant factors that affect children’s math proficiency. Math achievement depends on cognitive skills like memory, focus, and problem-solving ability, all of which are weakened by emotional distress

Policy Practice Proposal

I have outlined the weaknesses in the Minister’s speech hence I will outline some solutions that will guide policy practice to combat this problem.

  1. Create a strategic plan to enhance math test results.
  2. Create a teacher retention plan immediately.
  3. Address the psychological damage that lockdowns have caused to a generation of children. This must be done in collaboration with private psychological and psychiatric providers. 
  4. Targeted Tutoring Programmes: Use high-dosage tutoring, particularly in arithmetic, to give children who have fallen behind individualized guidance. 
  5. Improved Teacher Training: Fund teacher professional development to give them tools for individualized instruction and efficient data usage to promote student development. 
  6. Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL): Include SEL in the curriculum to assist children in developing resilience and stress management, both of which can enhance academic achievement. 
  7. Family Engagement: To foster a positive learning atmosphere at home, deepen relationships with families. Workshops and other materials to assist parents in promoting their children’s education may fall under this category. 
  8. Modernizing Math Pathways: Create preparedness and placement guidelines that go beyond standardized test results, and match high school math courses with postsecondary admissions procedures. 
  9. Create a Special Fund: To support academic recovery initiatives, the government should establish a Special Revolving Fund Facility with an initial investment of $3 billion, concentrating on the most affected schools in each of the seven (7) Regions. 
  10. Whole-Child Approach: To support children’s general well-being and academic performance, attend to their physical, mental, and academic requirements. 

References

Caviola, S., Toffalini, E., Giofrè, D., Ruiz, J. M., Szűcs, D., & Mammarella, I. C. (2021). Math Performance and Academic Anxiety Forms, from Sociodemographic to Cognitive Aspects: a Meta-analysis on 906,311 Participants. Educational Psychology Review34(1), 363–399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09618-5

Cherry, K. (2023, March 4). The Impact of Social Isolation on Mental Health. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-impact-of-social-isolation-on-mental-health-7185458

Corporate Finance Institute Team. (2023, October 16). Strategic Planning. Corporate Finance Institute. https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/management/strategic-planning/#:~:text=Strategic%20planning%20is%20the%20art%20of%20creating%20specific,to%20a%20company%E2%80%99s%20overall%20long-term%20goals%20or%20desires.

Curtis, C. (2020, October 13). Isolated Students May Struggle to Stay Mentally Healthy. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/isolated-students-may-struggle-stay-mentally-healthy

Dennis, B. J. (2022, August 31). Jamaica teacher migration: Treating the symptoms and not the causes. Jamaica Observerhttps://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2022/08/30/jamaica-teacher-migration-treating-the-symptoms-and-not-the-causes/

Dunkley-Willis, A. (2024, August 29). PNP says migration of teachers could surpass last year’s 1,400. Jamaica Observerhttps://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2024/08/29/pnp-says-migration-teachers-surpass-last-years-1400/

Edwards, D. (2023, September 15).  Teachers have flown the coop, now what? Jamaica Observerhttps://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2023/09/15/teachers-have-flown-  the-coop-now-what/

Evaristo, E. (2023, March 29). What can we do about COVID-related learning loss? (USC Rossier School of Education). https://rossier.usc.edu/news-insights/news/what-can-we-do-about-covid-related-learning-loss#:~:text=Six%20key%20practices%20that%20were,emotional%20learning)%3B%20create%20a

Fell, A. (2024, August 14). Children’s lockdown memories may predict declines in psychological well-being during the pandemic. UC Davishttps://www.ucdavis.edu/news/childrens-lockdown-memories-may-predict-declines-psychological-well-being-during-pandemic

Jones, S. D. (2021, November 9). Grade Retention After COVID-19: Evidence-Based Guidance. Neag School of Education | UConn. https://education.uconn.edu/2021/10/20/grade-retention-after-covid-19-evidence-based-guidance/

Martin, J., & Krueger, C. (n.d.). Modernizing Math Pathways to Support Student Transitions. Policy Brief. Equitable Transitions through Pandemic Disruptions. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED607345

McDermott-Murphy, C. (2021, November 6).Why young people need help to reconnect after COVID-19. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/11/covid-children-friendships-learning-suffered-lockdown/

Murphy, J. (2022, September 5). Performances decline in CSEC mathematics and English language. Jamaica Gleanerhttps://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20220905/performances-decline-csec-mathematics-and-english-language

Murphy, J. (2021, October 20). CSEC maths passes plummetJamaica Gleaner. https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20211020/csec-maths-passes-plummet

Offord, C. (2020, July 13). How Social Isolation Affects the Brain. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience | The University of Chicago. https://psychiatry.uchicago.edu/news/how-social-isolation-affects-brain

Ross, E. M. (2024, January 31). Despite Progress, Achievement Gaps Persist During Recovery from Pandemic: New research finds achievement gaps in math and reading, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, remain and have grown in some states, calls for action before federal relief funds run out. Harvard Graduate School of Education. Retrieved October 3, 2024, from https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/news/24/01/despite-progress-achievement-gaps-persist-during-recovery-pandemic

Save the Children International. (2020, May 8). ‘Children at risk of lasting psychological distress from coronavirus lockdown’: Save the Childrenhttps://www.savethechildren.net/news/%E2%80%98children-risk-lasting-psychological-distress-coronavirus-lockdown%E2%80%99-save-children

Save the Children | COVID-19: Children Globally Struggling after Lockdowns Averaging Six Months–Save the Children. (n.d.). Save the Children. https://www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/media-and-news/2021-press-releases/children-struggling-after-covid-19-lockdowns

Silvera, J. (2022, March 10). No mass exodus of teachers, says Williams. Jamaica Gleanerhttps://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20220310/no-mass-exodus-teachers-says-williams

Thompson, C. (2024, August 10). Teacher Migration in Jamaica: A Summary of Research Findings. Leadership Reimagination Enterprise. Retrieved from   https://leadershipreimagination.com/uncategorized/teacher-migration-in-jamaica-a-summary-of-research-findings/

Volante, L. (n.d.). Low PISA math scores post-pandemic: Policies need to consider both academic excellence and equity. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/low-pisa-math-scores-post-pandemic-policies-need-to-consider-both-academic-excellence-and-equity-219167

Zhang, J., Zhao, N., & Kong, Q. P. (2019). The Relationship Between Math Anxiety and Math Performance: A Meta-Analytic Investigation. Frontiers in Psychology10https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01613


Dervin Cochrane is a third year Doctor of Education Student at the School of Education, The University of the West Indies, Mona.


1 thought on “Examining the Math Problem in the Jamaican Education System”

  1. Garfield Walters

    Amazing piece Mr. Cochrane. The material is very informative and I’m certain will be useful for the future.

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