Teaching in a Flat World: Lessons from Successful Education Systems

By
Noel L. Knowles
Barry University, Nassau, Bahamas Campus
Nassau, Bahamas

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In their book Teaching In A Flat World: Learning From High Performing Systems,
Darling-Hammond and Rothman (2015), critically assessed the state of education in the United
States and highlighted the strengths of three successful education systems in Finland; Ontario,
Canada; and Singapore. The authors recognized the affect teachers and school leadership has on
successfully educating a child and in turn, the grave effects ineffective and insufficient policies
and systems can have on educating and effectively preparing teachers and school leaders. The
authors posited that studying successful education systems would provide the opportunity for
policy makers to see what is possible and show how ideas work in practice at the systems level
(Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2015, Kindle location 145). Like the authors of Teaching In A
Flat World, the writer of this paper will critically asses the state of education in The Bahamas
and highlight the best practices of the three educational systems studied to provide a guideline of
system wide change.
Historical Attempts at Educational Reform
The Bahamas is a relatively young nation having only been independent for forty-two
years. In this short period of time however, the country has grown tremendously by overcoming
racial disparities, increasing the opportunities to develop human capitol in the areas of education
and healthcare, and has maintained a peaceful but progressive political and economic
environment (Bethel,1992, p.8). Despite the remarkable achievements of this young nation, there
are still areas that require a critical review and system wide overhaul. Education is one of these
areas.
The quote history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce, by Karl Marx (1852)
so aptly describes attempts at educational reform in The Bahamas. The history of education in

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the Bahamas has shown similar programs and policies, only different in name, all failing to
address the problem of effectively educating students since the inception of formal education in
The Bahamas. In 1948, the implementation of the Compulsory Education Act mandated that all
students ages 5-14 attend school (Board of Education, 1948). In the same year, instructional time
increased from twenty-two (22) hours per week to twenty-seven and a half (27.5) hours per
week to better align with the educational practices in the United Kingdom (Bethel, 1992, p.3).
Additional reforms included recruiting qualified teachers from the United Kingdom and
Caribbean, introducing teacher training, and building new schools (Bethel, 1992, p.4). However,
many of these projects and initiatives were underfunded and despite the small success in
introducing qualified teachers, student achievement was still lacking (Bethel, 1992, p.4).
Evidence of the failed initiatives was revealed in the Board of Educations 1950 report.
In 1950, only 38% of students were awarded graduating certificates as the remaining 62% failed
to meet the academic standards required to graduate (Board of Education 1950, 45). Efforts to
improve academic pedagogy and student learning saw some success with 58% of students
meeting the academic standards in 1958 but still left much room for improvement with a
significant number of students failing (Board of Education, 1958, p.7). The following years saw
attempts to expand the school building project, establish schools for the deaf, blind, and mentally
retarded, and recruit and train qualified teachers but the system remained plagued by a lack of
funding and resources (Bethel,1992, p.5; Ministry of Education Ten Year Education Report,
2009, p.10).
In 1972, The Ministry of Education deemed the current educational system, inherited
from our colonizers, as narrow, meager, ill-suited and irrelevant and as such, set out an
ambitious plan to effectively educate students by democratizing education through the building

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of new schools in the capitol and family islands, increasing the budget for education, training
teachers, and introducing education at the preschool level (Ministry of Education and Culture
1972, pp.1-2). Despite success in some of the areas (e.g. building schools, increasing the budget,
and improving teacher training), the absence of government pre-schools and results from
standardized test continued to reveal students academic weaknesses. In the 1980s, society and
international agencies alike questioned the effectiveness of the system and again deemed it: inapt
(Bethel, 1992, p.19). International agencies like UNESCO cautioned the government to
coordinate educational policies and projects and avoid duplicating reform efforts (Bethel, 1992,
p. 19). And yet, twenty years later, the effectiveness of system reform attempts continued to be
questioned as UNESCOs 2000 Country Assessment Report revealed that the level of
curriculum mastery exhibited by many graduates of the school system falls below acceptable
level (Section 4, para.5). The report condemned the educational system and stated that in a
country having instituted compulsory primary schooling for more than a century, such
performance is unacceptable (Section 4, para.5).
Current Attempts at Educational Reform
Despite, the aforementioned weaknesses in the system over the last century, successive
governments have achieved significant gains in the educational system and have markedly
improved the quality of education in The Bahamas. To date, The Bahamas has successfully
democratized education by outlawing segregated schools, establishing free primary and
secondary education for its citizens, establishing tertiary level institutions for continuing
education, expanding facilities and qualified teachers for exceptional students, and ensuring that
each child on each inhabited island has equitable access to education (Ministry of Education,
2009, p.10). The journey has been an arduous one with notable successes despite the economical

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and geographical challenges presented by an archipelagic nation such as The Bahamas. Despite
notable success however, recent statistics reveal that there are still severe challenges within the
system.
The most current statistical data report provided on the Ministry of Educations website
(which the writer would like to highlight is eight years old), indicates that there are
approximately seventy-five thousand (75,000) students in The Bahamas, taught by five thousand
two hundred twenty-seven (5, 527) teachers. Out of those teachers, 87% are trained (possessing
minimally a teachers certificate), and there is insufficient data indicating the number of teachers
with a bachelors degree or higher (The Bahamas National Education Statistics Digest p.24).
This data conflicts with information provided in the annual report of the Ministry of Education
that states that 98% of public school teachers possess both academic and professional
qualifications and that the Ministry only engages teachers who have both the desired and
professional credentials (Bahamas Ministry of Education & Technology Annual Report, 2007,
p.16).
In addition to the lack of sufficient data clearly indicating the qualifications of teachers,
the report further indicated some troubling results in student achievement. Results from the
2006/2007 Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) national standardized
exam showed that private school students scored more than 50% higher than public school
students in achieving the passing grades of A, B, and C (p.94). Contrastingly, public school
students, in some cases by 50% or more, attained the failing grades of D, E, and F (The Bahamas
National Education Statistics Digest, 2006, pg.94). Even more astonishing is the fact that in the
2006/2007 school year out of the total number of students sitting the BGCSE exam, 54% percent
were from private schools while a mere 46% were from the public school system despite the

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public school system having 66% of the total student population (The Bahamas National
Education Statistics Digest, 2006, p.95).
Successful Education Reform Is A System Wide Reform
Despite clear inefficiencies in some of the data presented in the Bahamas National
Education Statistics Digest 2006 report, there is sufficient data to indicate serious inconsistencies
and disparities in the educational system. Darling-Hammond and Rothman (2015) indicated that
the Bahamas is not alone in facing challenges with the educational system as the last thirty years
of the United States education history presents case after case of ineffective policy reforms.
Some of the ineffective policy reforms presented by successive governments included
professionalizing teachers, merit pay, professionals entering the system through alternative routes
to reduce shortages, and mandatory teacher evaluations (Kindle location 206). Similar methods,
with the exception of merit pay, have been instituted in The Bahamas as well. Unfortunately, all
of these attempts to fix these systems have failed completely, leaving policy makers grappling to
determine what works.
Although prior attempts to fix the educational system in the United States and The
Bahamas failed, there are occurrences of programs that do prove to be effective. In the United
States, the implementation of teacher performance assessments in over thirty states has helped to
ensure that teachers are adequately prepared and qualified to teach effectively before entering the
profession (Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2015, Kindle Location 247,420). Other states have
developed or revamped their teacher professional development plans and implemented induction
programs which has provided some support structures for teachers in the classroom and
continued learning practices (Darling Hammond & Rothman, 2015, Kindle location 433). State

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policy makers instituted policies to improve overall pay, recruitment, and teacher preparation and
continued development to increase teacher effectiveness (Darling-Hammond, 2015, Kindle
location 20).
Much like the United States, The Bahamas has also instituted several great programs in
attempts to correct the failed system. In fact, an act was passed in 1974 to ensure the efficient
training of teachers and vocational skilled workers with the establishment of the College of The
Bahamas. To date, the Ministry of Education and Technology still awards scholarships through
the college to those perusing education as an incentive to attract persons to the field. The
ministry also provides several training workshops for teachers throughout the year which are
either fully funded or heavily subsidized by the government. In the 2006/2007 school year, the
ministry established a Future Teachers of the Bahamas program aimed at providing future
teacher cadets skills that would be useful to them in the field. These cadets assisted classroom
teachers who served as mentors. Other policies enacted to improve the system included
increasing teachers salaries and improving their overall benefits. Even with the small success of
these programs however, the problems remain great and the system is still broken. DarlingHammond and Rothman (2015) argue that great programs will always be great but they will
never achieve the ripple effect through the system unless policies are developed to address the
whole system as opposed to haphazardly addressed parts (Kindle location 623).
The haphazard and reactive nature of education policies and reforms in both the Bahamas
and the United States has resulted in an extremely flawed system. Often times, the flaws are so
great it seems as if the damage is irretrievable. Further complicating the problems in both
countries is the political nature of education. Successful policies are changed frequently and
often with new governments destroying the possibility of improvement before it even has a

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chance to blossom (Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2015, Kindle location 645). These truths
emphasized the authors viewpoints that studying successful educational systems provides key
insights into what is possible and how ideas become practical (Darling-Hammond & Rothman,
2015, Kindle location 618).
Best Educational Practices from Singapore, Ontario, & Finland: What The Bahamas Can
Learn?
Darling-Hammond and Rothman (2015) extensively studied three effective educational
systems around the world and highlighted in their book key insights into the practices and
policies of educators and policy makers in Singapore; Ontario, Canada, and Finland. The authors
organized the best practices into six lessons that could be pivotal in transforming challenged
educational systems.
Lesson 1: Systems Approach.
The first lesson learned was the importance of a system to breed success. In all three
countries, multiple policies in conjunction with best practices were enacted to ensure each school
jurisdiction, despite its wealth or lack of, was equipped with highly trained effective teachers.
The educational systems components and policies are all focused on recruitment, preparation,
induction, continued professional development, and evaluation of talented teachers. In addition
to this, the systems place strong emphasis on school leaders to support and inspire effective
teachers by serving as a model and mentor (Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2015, Kindle
location1418). The system is teacher centered and designed to produce the most proficient
teachers who self-reflect and research habitually to improve their product.
Lesson 2: Excellence from the Beginning.

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The second lesson learned focused on the importance of getting the system right from the
start. Steeped in the mindset that an educational system is only as strong as its teachers, teacher
education programs in Singapore; Finland, and Ontario, Canada are extremely selective of their
candidates and contain strict academic and pedagogical standards. In Finland only one out every
ten teacher candidates applying for a position is selected to become a teacher and prior to
entering the profession, teacher candidates are screened to determine how well they work with
children and their academic capabilities. In Singapore, teacher candidates are recruited from the
top third of high school grades to enter teacher training. In Ontario, Canada, the majority of
teachers possess graduate level degrees when entering the field and must complete a two year
clinical practice before becoming a teacher. These varying practices ensure that only the best and
brightest are suitable to impart knowledge to students.
Unfortunately the practice of recruiting the best of the best is not always the case in the
United States or The Bahamas. In both countries, persons skilled in other fields have been
allowed to enter the profession without any specific knowledge learned on educational
psychology or pedagogy. In The Ministry of Science and Technologys 2007 Annual Report,
findings indicated that a small percentage of professionals who have academic qualifications but
are not specifically teacher trained continued to be hired (p.16). The report goes on to state that
these persons are classified as assistant teachers and are encouraged to become certified (p.17).
The language of the report makes the intention of the government quite obvious. The positon of
the government is not really to secure the best and brightest to impart knowledge but rather
ensure that the teacher quota is met.
Lesson 3 & 4: Professionalism and Professional Development.

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The third and fourth lessons focused on making the profession attractive and improving
professional development. In Finland and Singapore, extensive policies have been enacted to
improve a sense of professionalism and working conditions in the field. In these countries,
teachers are regarded with the same respect and expertise as doctors and even attain similar
salaries (Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2015, Kindle location 1660). Teachers participate in the
policy making of the system and are respected and expected to conduct action research to
continually improve the system (Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2015, Kindle location 1663).
Thus, teachers play an active role in their own professional development. The expertise of
teachers is so highly regarded that these countries do not see the need for standardized
examinations because their governments have confidence in their specialized knowledge and can
trust their judgement on student progress (Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2015, Kindle location
1615, 1617). The opposite is true in The Bahamas for standardized test is the only measure of
achievement regarded as student progress evidenced in the yearly reporting of Grade Level
Assessment Test (GLAT), Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) and Bahamas Secondary Education
Certificate (BGCSE) results (Simon, 2012, para.3).
Out of all three of the systems reviewed Singapore lead in a clear pathway for
professional development and career advancement. Through the career ladder program, teachers
have numerous opportunities to develop professionally and take on leadership roles, based on
demonstrations of competence and not tenure as it is in The Bahamas (Darling-Hammond &
Rothman, 2015 Kindle locations 1633, 1634). Furthermore, teachers have twenty hours of
professional development built into each school week to allow for collaborative planning,
learning, and observing of best practices. Collaborative planning and learning was the most
effective professional development route for Ontario, Canada as well. In Ontario, teachers and

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leaders complete an annual learning plan that outlines professional goals for the teachers. At the
end of the year, they assess how well these goals were met and areas of improvement (DarlingHammond & Rothman, 2015 Kindle locations 1683, 1685).
Lessons 5 & 6: Resources and Trained Leaders.
Collaborative approaches to learning and professional development in these systems
would not be possible without proper resources and training of school leaders. The fifth and six
lessons both stressed the importance of placing priority on providing tangible and cognitive
resources to the educational system. Darling-Hammond & Rothman (2015) recognized that a
feature of all successful systems is the recognition that the quality of any childs education
should not depend on the income of his or her family (Kindle locations 1693, 1694). The author
would like to expand that thought and add that the quality of a childs education is also not
indicative by money alone but requires a system wide approach. Simon (2012) agrees and
expressed frustration at the Bahamians governments boasting that the largest budget allocation
is education. He remarked:
We are beset still by low test scores and a system of social promotion churning out
thousands of students deficient in basic English and math, with tenure for too many
teachers lacking competency in their subject matter as well as English. These challenges
will not yield to money alone. It is not simply the amount of dollars spent on
public education that makes a difference. It is how funds are targeted that will yield better
results (Simon, 2012, para.16).
Teaching resources that support teachers, educational leaders, and continued
developmental opportunities for learning the best pedagogical approaches to educating students

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are fundamental to a system wide change. The authors agreed and also highlighted the fact that
high-quality leadership strengthens teaching by providing skillful guidance and creating a
school vision that teachers share (Kindle locations 1707-1709). It is with this knowledge that
Singapore, Finland, and Ontario have all heavily invested in the development of school leaders.
In each jurisdiction studied, the principal is not viewed solely as administrative in nature
focusing most energy on budgets and management. Instead, the administrator is viewed as the
ultimate instructional leader providing skillful advice and mentorship to the teachers. For this
approach to be effective, the administrator must never lose touch with the instructional aspects of
education. Similar to teacher recruitment, school principals are selected from expert teachers and
must be skilled in the knowledge of the level they lead (Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2015,
Kindle locations 1717).
Singapore views the selection process of school leaders more rigidly. Not only does
Singapore select leaders from expert teachers, young talented teachers with leadership
capabilities are recognized and groomed. After showing competence in leadership roles such as
specialist positions and head of departments, these teachers are placed in a two day principal
simulation test and evaluated. Successful completion of these tests result in yet another level of
evaluation. Candidates are then entered into a rigorous six month program where they are
required to complete coursework, undergo induction, and travel to other countries to attain the
best practices (Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2015, Kindle location 1731).
Conclusion
The Bahamas Ministry of Education has recognized its deficiencies in effectively
preparing educational leaders and as such, The Minister of Education, Jerome Fitzgerald recently

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committed to establishing a path for training and mentorship for potential principals and school
leaders identified by The Ministry (Campbell, 2015, para 3). In addition to improving school
leadership, other new policy changes include teacher training, the establishment of an
achievement unit, special and inclusive education, and the expansion of preschools (currently,
there are only three government pre-schools)(Campbell, 2015, para 4). The interesting fact about
these new policies is that they are not new rather renamed and seemingly beginning a new
cycle of new policies resulting in old problems. In this regard, the Ministry of Educations
history of reform will repeats itself again. This time however, not as tragedy but as farce.
Interestingly enough, The Bahamas National Archives (2015) wrote that a good
educational system is the foundation of any country. The organization continued that the
effectiveness of the system however, is dependent on the cooperation of people with different
abilities, different experiences and specialized training, working together to produce a dynamic
system which could be improved upon over a period of time (para. 1). The key phrase in this
sentence is working together. Until we as a people understand that a system is only as effective
as its parts working in tandem then we will continue to haphazardly respond to systemic
inefficiencies rather than establish a model educational system.

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