Illiteracy in the age of AI

I came from a family with a literate mother and a semi-literate father, both of whom understood the importance of their children getting a sound education. My siblings and I were not all cut out for the academic path, but we did the best we could with the abilities we had, I being the only one who received a tertiary education at that time back in the 1960s-1970s. Today, though, all of our children have received some sort of tertiary education, and most of them are now employed alongside their peers in various sectors throughout the country. I bring this up because come tomorrow, the nation's newest school year will open and some children will be going to school for the very first time, while others will be picking up where they left off the last academic year, and yet others will be either dropping out or graduating, never to return to academics again in their lifetime. But I have this deep-seated fear every year that I have yet to see assuaged by statistics on the literacy levels of those exiting the school system. It pains me to know that a country whose first language is English churns out every year perhaps a couple hundred students who are either semi-literate or near-illiterate all together in language. Yes, I know we have the adult literacy programme which has assisted so many adults with their literacy and reading skills, but why does it have to get to this point in this, 'the age of technology'? I am a simple man with the simple thinking that every teacher, be he primary or secondary, should have at least scored a One in English language, and should be able to guide and correct students, least of all with their spelling and language; forget grammar for now. Whether it's a math or science teacher, or Mr AI himself, the prompt every child and adult alike uses to access information online and which is rattled out in perfect English, albeit American standard, I cringe every time I hear a teacher or professor or a graduate speaking and their subjects and verbs are in violent disagreement. Worse than that, their spelling is so poor that reading their writings requires either a translator or a code-breaker to understand. It is that bad. I have an editor who handles any trash I may write and removes all impurities. So if the sub-editors find even more mistakes, they crash into me and set me on the right path. Our reporters and writers must have good editors who ensure that only quality writings reach the readers. But command of the language is not the only skill that brings coherence to the copy; it brings with it class, and most important, facts. These convey the true meanings of the words and stories. And, we must have these, too, correct. Only when we are sure that what goes into print at this media house is good for consumption, then we move forward. I fear I wandered too far from the topic at hand, which is the state of our education system. Today with the extensive uses of artificial intelligence, we have universities and other tertiary institutions fearful of receiving academic writings submitted by students, but wholly generated by AI. I understand that fear because it also extends into all sectors where research is required. Unscrupulous workers and students alike who rely on this avenue may well end up costing their firms loads of monies in lawsuits. Worst of all, we will have graduates coming out of universities clueless about their chosen careers, lacking communication skills, but eager to earn money at the cost of those patronising the businesses and sectors that choose them based on what their academic qualification says. Imagine being a teenager coming out of Form Five and still being unable to read and comprehend, or write and communicate effectively. That is not only frustrating for the teen but it compounds their unemployment situation and, in many cases, that leads to a life of crime, delinquency and other ills that plague us as a society. Left untreated, this festers and creates the crime problem we are currently facing in Trinidad. While you may think the two are unrelated, I assure they are. I have been told by people in their 20s and 30s, who have failed out of the school system, that school and learning, and education, the way they are delivered to us in Trinidad, is pointless, and just leads us into a life of modern-day slavery. And, there is no acknowledgement, on their parts, of the fact that we need an education to effectively communicate and survive today. These are the same people who 'hol' ah day wuk' here and there, and sell illicit drugs on the side. My question to the Education Minister, teachers, and parents alike is, how do we change this mindset?