Almost two-thirds of the respondents to last week’s caymancompass.com online poll said they either didn’t know what a U.K.-style academy school system was or they didn’t have enough information about the subject to say if it would be a good option for Cayman’s public schools.
Of the 394 total respondents in the one-week poll, the largest segment – 141 people or 35.8 percent – thought the academy-style system, in which nongovernment entities take over the running of schools, could be good, but they would need more information to decide.
“The children in public schools – indigenous and 1st generation Caymanians – deserve the best education we as a country can afford,” said one person. “We are spending $70 million a year on education. Let’s figure out how we raise the standards and help all children achieve their full potential. Education is one piece, but a critical piece. The status quo is unacceptable.”
“No Islamic/Sharia Law influence,” said another respondent, referring to isolated issues that have developed with the academy school system in Birmingham, England.
“Simply giving each management the power to make more decisions and therefore be held more accountable may make just as much sense,” said someone else.
The second highest segment of voters – 113 people or 28.7 percent – said they didn’t know what a U.K.-style academy system was.
Eighty-eight people, or 22.3 percent, thought implementing the U.K.-style academy school system was a great idea.
“We have to take the politics out of education,” said one person.
Another 27 people, or 6.8 percent, thought the U.K. academy system might be a good idea for public schools, but said it would never work in Cayman.
“It does not seem to have a great track record in the U.K., and it would create a two-tier system where the second tier would get worse and worse and society would pay dearly for that division,” said one person. “We should concentrate on fixing our current system and permitting expat children into the public school system.”
“We have to keep our location in mind and where the majority of our children further their education,” said someone else. “The U.K. is not the answer for everything.”
“How is that system working out for the U.K.?” asked another respondent.
The smallest segment of respondents, 25 people or 6.4 percent, said that adopting the U.K.-style academy system was a terrible idea and that Cayman’s public education system was fine the way it was. However, this group was the most vocal as far as comments were concerned.
“The real answer is that academies don’t work better than regular schools,” said one person. “The success of a school is down to how its run, not its type. Good management, good results. For example, in your Monday article it refers to ARK schools having longer-than-normal school hours. Simple, if the people in charge (parents who talk to politicians) will accept it. There is the rub. Cayman’s public schools have been having increasingly good returns. What’s the problem you’re trying to fix, specifically?”
“What is needed is discipline, not academies,” said someone else. “Reading, writing and math; Stick to back-to-basic-style teaching!”
“We need to stop looking at other countries as they have failed in the past,” commented someone else. “Come up with our own system!”
“The U.K.-academy system failed them,” suggested another respondent. “Why would it work for us? The Cayman Islands needs to go back to the Caribbean way of teaching!”
One person expressed dismay for all the changes in Cayman’s education system in recent years.
“First of all, how many times do we want to adopt a new education system?” the respondent asked. “It seems like every four years when a minister wants to put their fingerprint on the portfolio to the detriment to the students.” This respondent also expressed concern about who would pay for the new academy uniforms and the rivalries that would develop between academies.
Several respondents thought the poll was biased for academies and someone else thought it was biased against academies.
“What an interesting way to attempt to get people not to vote no!” said one person.
“It is clearly designed to ensure that people vote for academies,” said someone else, who accused the Cayman Compass of biased journalism.
Another person thought the poll needed more answer options. “What about, ‘Cayman needs transformation, but not through the academy system’?” commented the respondent. “I was left with ‘it’s a terrible idea’, but I would like to add that change is still needed.”
Next week’s poll question
What is your home insurance situation?
- I have home insurance
- I don’t have home insurance
- I own a condo, so insurance is in the strata fee
- I rent so I don’t need it
- I don’t live in the Cayman Islands
- Other (write in comments)
To participate in this poll, visit caymancompass.com.
“We are spending $70 million a year on education. Let’s figure out how we raise the standards and help all children achieve their full potential. Education is one piece, but a critical piece. The status quo is unacceptable.” POLL RESPONDENT
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