In my days Undr the then PNC extra lessons for was in School after school and it was free

When I was a teacher years ago, we gave lessons free. These occurred after school and as national exams approached, we gave lessons on Saturdays. There was no thought about asking for money. The learning and the number is students being successful was enough. Now, 'lessons' is a big business. I fail to see how the minister is going to stop a teacher from doing this after school is dismissed. There is a high level of inefficiency within the ministry of education. Someone needs to tell them that it is about the learning, not so much abiut just teaching the curricula. Teachers seem to think that their job is to teach the curricula, not caring whether the child really learn what is taught. Instructional time is not used effectively and the real idea and use of formative assessment is foreign to them. They play the blame game for failures, blaming the students or parents or a bad day. There are many reports of teachers doing as the minister suggest. This forces many parents who cannot really afford it, to send their children to these costly lessons, afraid that their children will be left behind. So many things are wrong with the system. The minister has indicated that he has the necessary personnel to change the system around in five years. I wish him luck, though I know that it will take more than that. Too bad it is the average and low performing students who suffer. Recent studies seem to point to the idea that if a child has a poor teacher for a year it takes three years of good teaching to get that child back to where he/she should be. No wonder more than half of the students fail in Math and English in the National exams in grades 4, 6, 9 and CXC.

Payment for extra lessons were always made by parents for their children.

While indeed one may want to do away with this option, it will remain a necessity for ages.

DG, 'always' is a forever word. I do not know how it was done in GT, but where I lived in the rural areas, no one paid for extra lessons. Why does it have to remain necessary. Please explain. In Alberta where you reside, there are no extra lessons that parents pay for. There are extra curricular activities that might entail parents paying a fee. There, the professional responsibility of the teacher is to ensure that the child learn what he or she needs to, that remedial work that happens after dismissal is part of the teacher's professional responsibility. Much of the problem here is the leadership at the school level, the quality of teacher instruction and the resources at the school level. There are others. The first two have the greatest impact on student achievement.

Very prevalent practice in India and many other nations.  This has also been accused in Greece.  What's the solution?  On the other hand, if a parent has a struggling child, what should they do?

There are two sides but I agree, teachers should teach in school.

SOme kids need the extra work...but I understand's Dr. Roopnarine point

A teacher has not taught if the child did not learn, this is the psychology of teaching.That's the reason for remedial work to be done by the teacher after school is over instead of teachers rushing out with the kids for home, public servants work to 4:30 pm and teachers go home at 2:40 pm. Let it be mandatory that teachers work until 3:30 pm, one hour after the better kids have gone home and the weaker ones remain for "remedials" FREE.

Tell dem dunderheads, D_G.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand didn't have a problem with private lessons, fee or free.

Her predecessors Dale Bisnauth and Shaik Baksh didn't have a problem either.

Who the hell Roopnaraine thinks he is? The Education Ministry is paying pittance to teachers, wha else he expect? He want tek food outa de teachas' mouth now?

Better cocks than Roopnaraine crowed before. As the venerable Demerara_Guy says, private lessons will "remain a necessity for ages."

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Gilly bai, like you bin ah give extra lessons heh?
Two of my friends in Corriverton still give this extra lessons. Their classes are always full.

This Roop dude needs to understand that not all children learn at the same pace and some of their parents might not be able to help.

If the kids can finish their daily work in school, then there is no need for extra lesson and homework.     The problem is qualified teachers.  We don't have enough of them. 

Possible class room size need to be looked at.

I agree, There should reduce the number of students to 35 in one class room.

Correct, and to note that while parents do pay for extra lessons, teachers do provide in an extremely private and secure process, free-of-charge tuition to those in need of such educational assistance.

35 seems high,more like 20-25 students per class

Somebody needs to tell Roopnarine that there are more fundamental micro issues relating to curriculum, instruction, and assessments that are the real problems in education, not extra lessons.

Let's pray he does not become another Priya.