Teach me to write; But respec' meh right: A critical exploration of vernacular accommodation in tertiary education for all in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

Since the introduction of the Education for All policy of the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) in Trinidad and Tobago, more tertiary level classrooms have been furnished with mixed linguistic and academic abilities and have accommodated more non-traditional tertiary-level entrants into the educational system. The expansion of the tertiary sector has also fostered lower minimum requirements for candidates entering tertiary institutions of learning (TILs), which differ from higher institutions of learning (HILs). More inclusive strategies in English composition courses are therefore needed to manage the reality of mixed abilities and greater non-standard language use among some of these learners, as part of the educational process. Therefore, the author proposes limited vernacular accommodation as a response to sectoral diversity and as a viable strategy for more inclusive education that would match the learner characteristics and the socio-educational contexts of TILs. In support of this recommendation, evidence-based findings from a case study among 39 students at a large private university exemplify the outcomes of vernacular accommodation in relation to student performance, linguistic identity and learner confidence. These outcomes further the cause of vernacular integration policies in education towards ensuring that true inclusion is upheld in the educational process. Moreover, the participatory power balance between students and teachers in this context will provide students with greater confidence and success in the short-and long-term, and will provide teachers with the critical awareness for transacting more equitable appraisals and for resisting hegemonic teaching and learning practices. In this way, true inclusion will extend beyond the mere financial ease of the GATE funding which is now available to all eligible students by consolidating the voice of marginalised learners in a conservative tertiary education system.