The recent concerns about Jamaica's low university qualification rates should prompt a serious national discussion about the effectiveness of the schools and the systems that support learning.

While factors such as poverty, family challenges, and limited resources undoubtedly affect educational outcomes, we must also examine what is happening inside our schools. If only a small percentage of students are leaving secondary school with the qualifications required for university, then it is fair to ask whether our current approach to teaching and learning is producing the results our country needs.

One concern frequently raised by parents is the growing dependence on extra lessons, which appear to have become essential.