Modernization in the School Master by Earl Lovelace

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“The Schoolmaster illuminates that education or modernization which does not integrate the indigenous cultural ideologies of the society is bound to suffer grave human casualties.” The Schoolmaster is a well-crafted story that highlights the struggles of Paulaine Dandrade to get the Roman Catholic priest to support the building of a school in Kumaca, a very remote village in Trinidad. Kumaca has been able to remain untainted by the lavish of the colonized world, no electricity, no road and other luxuries that Zanilla or Arima boast of. It is a story that highlights communal effort and the effort of team work. They are willing to put their shoulders to the wheel to get work done. Kumaca was a safe haven until education came (in the form of the school and the schoolmaster.) He is the one that is put in charge of the school, whips the kids and even jolts the adults. A few of the villagers are not for the school master and they keep their distances. The do not want to be spoilt by the introduction of “progress”. The school master has introduced a village council, has lobbied for a road to come through Kumaca, he has even changed the way the Kumacians have their fête. It is said that “The Schoolmaster illuminates that education or modernization which does not integrate the indigenous cultural ideologies of the society is bound to cause grave human casualties.” Is it the introduction of modernization in the form of education or the one representing modernization that causes the casualties? The Schoolmaster is a metaphor of success. For everything a price has to be paid, human sacrifices or otherwise. Introducing education into Kumaca did not spoil the people; it is the devious attitude of the schoolmaster that causes the casualties and not education. Education is a factor that has to be present in any society for it to move forward. The stakeholders are the ones that

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