Anthony Downie, Gleaner WriterI remember when I passed my CSEC examinations. The next big question was: where do I go from here? Most persons I consulted had conflicting views on sixth form; some said it was academically relevant, others said it was a waste of time.
Whether it is a community college or sixth form, it's usually a hard decision for students to enrol in these programmes, as opposed to just jumping into university.
Here are some pointers to consider about sixth form:
Academically over-exaggerated: When you go through The Gleaner's classifieds, most jobs either require you to have CXC subjects or a degree. Rarely do you see a company requiring you to have CAPE subjects to enter its organisation. It is as if the companies don't even recognise these exams. Coupled with the fact that the workload associated with the syllabus is insurmountable, this can be quite discouraging for a student who has done these exams. Social maturity: The average teen who did five years of high school is about seventeen years old. Their maturity factor may be an issue if they are to enter university at that age. There will be no one to monitor them in the form of marking registers or giving detentions. They are basically in charge of themselves; this will challenge their ability to exercise proper self-control methods. On the other hand, sixth form provides a medium through which they can develop the required emotional prerequisite skills to be successful at the next level. Whether it's how they communicate with adults or manage their time, university life is no walk in the park. Bigger picture: Sixth form has the ability to provide a true glimpse of the potential responsibilities of adulthood. When students are given tasks such as prefect duties, where they are in charge of a form, it helps them to develop their leadership skills. In these roles they are expected to motivate, monitor and set proper examples for the students who are under their care. It's like David, who had to practise being a good shepherd to his flock before he could be a king who led a nation. Your teen will need practice before entering the wider society.The other issue is that university courses require a lot of discipline to pass. We are talking about long hours of studying and researching at the library. What better way to introduce them to this lifestyle than through CAPE subjects? They will definitely have your children studying all night and exercising their mental powers.
Extra time: It's still hard for me to fathom the fact that at 17 or 18 you are expected to select a career path that you will follow for the rest of your life. I often asked myself: how much experience do I even have to know what I like? For most of us, we chose our career based on our favourite subjects. Subsequently, if accounting was our best subject in high school, then our aspiration was to become an accountant. With the additional one or two years of sixth form, students get some extra time to explore the different options that are out there. The more we explore our environment, the closer we get to our true purpose.Feel free to email us at youthlink@ gleanerjm.com. For the most interesting teen issues and styles, get your copy of Youthlink magazine on news-stands on Tuesday.