"What About The Children?"

         "What About The Children?"

                                                                   by Yolanda Adams

Tears streaming down, her heart is broken
And because her heart is hurting, so am I
He wears a frown, his dreams are choking
And because he stands alone, his dreams will die
So, humbly I come to you and I say
As I sound aloud the warfare of today
Please hear me, I pray

[CHORUS:]
What about the children
To ignore is so easy
So many innocent children will choose the wrong way
So what about the children
Remember when we were children
And if not for those who loved us and who cared enough to show us
Where would we be today

So, where is your son
and where lies his refuge
And if that young man can't come to you, then where can that young man run to
She's such a foolish foolish girl, yet still, she's your daughter
And if you will just reminisce on all the crazy things that you did when you were that young
You see, it's not where you've been, nor what you've done
Because I know a friend who specializes in great outcomes
See His love overcomes

[CHORUS:]
What about the children
To ignore is so easy
So many innocent children will choose the wrong way
So what about the children
Remember when we were children

And if not for those who loved us and who cared enough to show us
Where would we be today...
What about the children they need our help today
And what about the children they need us
more than ever more than ever more than ever
what about the children where would we be today
where would we be today
what about the children

Where would we be today
Where would we be today
Where would we be today
What about the children

Testing for Intelligence

When considering the commitment to viewing young children holistically here are several things that should be measured which is social development and emotional development. There are others but in my opinion these are the most important. Children learning how to develop social and emotionally is important in aiding them in developing self confidence. When a child has self confidence they tend to perform better in school.

As far as assessment in my state, I don’t know much about it. What I do know is that there are state tests in 3^rd, 8^th and 12^th grade which determines each child’s next school choice. Working in a private elementary school, we use oral testing for letters and sounds, numbers and word recognition for preschool and kindergarten and written testing in mathematics, spelling and reading for first and second grade

Education in Trinidad and Tobago is free and compulsory between ages 5 and 16. Trinidad and Tobago is considered one of the most educated countries in the World with a literacy rate exceeding 98%. This exceptionally high literacy rate can be attributed, in part, to free tuition from Kindergarten (Pre-School) to University. In addition, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, via the Ministry of Education provides free transport, books and meals to students of primary and secondary age.

The education system in Trinidad and Tobago mirrors the British education system. Children generally start Pre-School at the early age of 3 years. This level of tuition is not mandatory but most Trinbagonians start their children's schooling at this stage as children are expected to have basic reading and writing skills when they commence primary school. Students proceed to a primary school at the age of five. Seven years are spent in primary school. During the final year of primary school, students prepare for and sit the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) which determines the secondary school the child is to attend. For most children and parents, this is a very stressful period.

Students attend secondary school for a minimum of five years, their first major exam is the local NCSE [National Certificate of Secondary Education] examinations, which is done in the third year of this system and administered by the Ministry of Education. The next major exam of the system which is done on the fifth year of school is CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate), which is the equivalent of the British GCE O levels. Children with satisfactory grades may opt to continue high school for a further two-year period, leading to the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), the equivalent of GCE A levels. Both CSEC and CAPE examinations are held by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

www.ibe.unesco.org/National_Reports