Interview Question 2 (IQ2)

The second interview question, IQ2, was “What are your views regarding a successful student?” Five out of the six form five respondents named academic achievement through gaining a scholarship as the measure of a successful student.

Interestingly, so did each of their parents, although P5-332 and P5-386 mentioned that there must be extracurricular activities that create teamwork and leadership roles, however, they were clear that academics were the priority. P-226 was candid to admit that the scholarship as a measure of success, because they could not afford university education otherwise. P5-402 maintained his stance on community and country building as his measure of a successful student is ‘a student that will become a model citizen. A student that is willing to contribute to the whole of her country.’

Quite instructively, none of the form six parents or students mentioned the word scholarship in their responses. They all genuinely talked of the importance of academics together with a balance of extra-curricular that creates an all-round individual with excellent mental, emotional and physical health. I do think that this is particularly significant because their responses were mature, logical and practical.

These form six students also had the benefit of writing the form five external

examinations before, so the drive to succeed may have been strengthened by their real-life experiences that would have provided excellent learning opportunities for growth, development and improvement. Coincidentally, four of these girls later gained scholarships. Three gained scholarships in the open category, which is fully paid by the GoRTT and one gained and additional scholarship, which is part funded.

The teachers’ views regarding a successful student were quite broad based as issues of respect of fellow human beings regardless of position in society; not just academically successful but all-round; and holistic individuals with high standing morals, ethics and values. Many teachers were straightforward to admit that at Excellence High’s academic success was the only measure of success that they have seen been adopted by the school’s administration over the years. T-8, with 6 years’ experience, notably described that:

[a] successful student leaving this school for me is one that is mentally, spiritually and academically capable of handling whatever job they are given whether small or big. A successful student outside of this school is one that is more holistically developed than what we do at this school. They have more interpersonal skills, intrapersonal skills, they are better at stress management.

This response clearly shows the need for that type of holistic development of the student in order to be viewed as a successful student. Refreshingly, this is quite different from the academic and scholarship success that have been dominating the answers, but this is also an indicator that T-8’s responses are not as prized or prioritized as the academic success.

T-12 brought in the perspective of the former student who is now a teacher at Excellence High and significantly noted that:

[i]t’s based on the students’ parent’s income to access these extra-curricular activities. It’s offered after school and really depends on your financial situation.

At this school it’s primarily scholarships and grades.

Although T-13 attempted to talk of holistic learning she admitted that there is heavy promotion of academic success when referring to a successful student. Notably, T-15 who has taught for 17 years lamented that ‘we don’t teach them how to be happy’ as the students are very results oriented and continuously compare themselves to their

counterparts. This observation by T-15 is really significant as schools are primary agencies when it comes to ensuring the mental, emotional and even physical wellbeing of its students and also its staff. Realistically, students and staff may spend more waking hours at school than at their respective homes, a case that is true for myself as a teacher at Excellence High. Hence, it follows that a school’s culture and ethos, the quality of its physical and social environment, its curricula and the nature of the teaching/learning processes, and the interactions with its stakeholders, all have a direct effect on the health of its students and staff (Rampersad 2002, p.3).

In my view, schools, therefore, have a responsibility to become healthy organisations first, so that the environment can then be conducive to effective learning and academic success.

Senior teachers, which included administration, also conveyed the importance of scholarship success. ST-1, with 30 odd years’ experience, notes that:

[t]he students, the public, particularly the parents...there is a lot of pressure for students to do well. They send their children to this school because they feel that every one of them could get a scholarship, and not just any scholarship, an open scholarship.

This comment further demonstrates that there is the view that Excellence High has that reputation for academic excellence through scholarship success, which highlights the importance of stakeholders’ perception and the prestige nature of the school.

While scholarship and academic success seemed overriding from the responses, teachers also valued the following characteristics of a successful student: importance of being a ‘good citizen’, ‘independent thinking’, ‘civic mindedness’, ‘social responsibility’ and ‘honesty’. Interestingly, while both teachers and senior teachers acknowledge and embraced the importance of all round and holistic development, the main criteria of a successful student appears to be that of academic success through achieving scholarships, particularly open scholarships. These open scholarships are fully paid by the GoRTT and students may go anywhere in the world to study for an undergraduate degree.