Educational Reform

University of Trinidad and Tobago School for Studies in Learning Cognition and Education

EDFN204B – Curriculum Studies

Students:

Christina Sookdeo – 52927Rosemary Mansingh – 110006027Trisha Assing-Raghoonath – 50996

Vieanna Khadan - 51026

Assignment Due Date: 26th March, 2012

Assignment: Educational Reform Quality Education for all

Instructor: Ms Leela Ramsook

WHAT STARTED THE EDUCATIONAL REFORM?

A local problemThe need to attain full national identity and independenceA system that met the needs of the citizensA system that provided young people with skills to confidently enter the workforceCapitalization of the human resource for effective participation in socioeconomic activities at the local, regional and international levels. Education was seen as the vehicle for social change.

2000 – Signatory of the Millennium Summit 2000Committed to achieving the 8 millennium developmental goals

The Goals are:1.Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty2.Achieve universal primary education3.Promote gender equality and empower women4.Reduce child mortality5.Improve maternal health6.Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases7.Ensure environmental sustainability8.Develop a global partnership for development

The six goals of ‘Education for All’ (EFA) have become UNESCO’s overriding priority in education

2000 – Signatory for the 2000 Dakar Framework for ActionCommitted to achieving ‘Education for All’ (EFA) six major goals

All citizens have a role to play in this educational reform.

Expand early childhood care and educationThe goal calls for better and more possibilities to support young children, and their families and communities, in all the areas where the child is growing – physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually.

Provide free and compulsory primary education for all Therefore this goal sets the objective of seeing that all children – girls as well as boys – go to school and finish primary education.

Promote learning and life skills for young people and adults This goal places the emphasis on the learning needs of young people and adults in the context of lifelong learning.

Increase adult literacy by 50 per centThis goal calls for a certain level of improvement in adult literacy by 2015 – it says that it should be 50 per cent better than it was in 2000.

Achieve gender parity by 2005, gender equality by 2015This goal calls for an equal number of girls and boys to be enrolled in primary and secondary school by 2005 – this is what gender parity means.

Improve the quality of educationThis goal calls for improvement in the quality of education in all its aspects, aiming for a situation where people can achieve excellence.

Vision 2020 – To make Trinidad and Tobago a developed country by 2020

Seven goals have been placed on the national agenda:1) The achievement of a high level of human

development and standard of living2) Full participation of citizens in the mainstream

socioeconomic activities3) Strong and salient economy4) Good effective governance of the country5) Social cohesion6) Preservation of the natural environment7) Efficient and effective social institutional structures

Strategic Plan of action of the Ministry of Education 2002-2006

This outlined four major objectives:1) Accessibility to educational opportunities for all

2) Delivery of quality education to citizens at all levels of the education system

3) Sustainable policy development for the education sector

4) Continuous alignment of the strategic direction in the education system with objectives set for national development.

Five priorities for the quantitative provision of education and seven priorities for the qualitative provision of education were set.

EDUCATIONAL REFORM WITHIN THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS

• The Ministry of Education has implemented major strides to reform the primary school educational sector.

• Many advances, refurbishments, and modernization within the primary schools has been made by the Ministry of Education.

• This is to ensure quality primary school education for all.

ADOPTION OF MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS – 2000

Among the key eight (8) goals of the MDG is one goal that pertains directly to the primary school educational sector.

The achievement of universal primary education.

REFORM ACTION TAKEN:

• Current student enrollment

• Building of primary schools

• Refurbishment of primary schools

COMMITMENT TO ACHIEVING EDUCATION FOR ALL (EFA GOALS):

In the year 2000 this country also made a commitment to achieving ‘Education For All’ (EFA). Among the six (6) major EFA goals there are two

major goals for primary school reform system.

1) To ensure that by 2015 all children especially girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality.

2) To eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full access to and achievement in basic education of good quality.

REFORM: TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES

• The Ministry of Education is equipping primary schools with the necessary technology to lay the groundwork for the establishment of a knowledge-based workforce.

• To date, one hundred and twenty-four (124) primary schools have been equipped with a total of 1,499 computers.

REFORM: EDUCATION AND GENDER ISSUES

• The reformation process has sought to ensure that all students have access to the educational opportunities. (Education Policy Paper (1993 — 2003))

• Reform action taken place:1) Gender discrimination is eliminated from the

school curriculum, textbooks and subject access.

2) Gender sensitive curriculum strategies are developed and continue to be implemented at all levels of the education system.

THE REFORM OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM- 2002-2006

Two major priorities:

• Continuation of the construction of primary schools under the Fourth Basic Education Programme.

• Expansion of facilities at existing secondary schools to ensure placement of all students exiting the primary system and to facilitate the deshifting of schools.

CURRICULUM REFORM:

The educational system must produce graduates with the necessary skills to boost the working force. Hence, the Ministry of Education has sought to focus on two major developments of the educational sector.

• Quantitative

• Qualitative

CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENTS:

• Revision of the primary school social studies syllabus.

• Introduction of a Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) programme within the education system.

• Infusion of Values Education across the subject areas.

EDUCATIONAL REFORM WITHIN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The modernization and reform of the education system started in the 1900’s and is still a priority today. The most current and forthcoming reforms which seek to address the restructuring of the entire education system are:

•Enrollment Level-

•SEMP (Secondary Education Modernization Programme)

Local School Boards were established in ten Public Secondary Schools to assist in the school’s policy and improvement plans and also to assist in raising funds for the school.

The goals of SEMP are:

1. The reform and expansion of the secondary school system that will result in five (5) years of high quality secondary education for all the nation’s children regardless of the social and economic status

2. The creation of a curriculum that relevant to the very demanding and dynamic world of work

3. The development of teaching technologies that will produce graduates who can adapt to the rapid changes being brought about through technological advances and globalization.

Education Policy Paper 1993-2003; “de-shifting” and conversion of all Junior Secondary and Senior Comprehensive schools into full five and seven year schools to ensure equitable access to full day secondary education for all children.

Teacher morale through training and streamlining of the education system.

Decentralization of control from the Ministry of Education to school boards.

The introduction of more broad based curricular such as the infusion of Information and Communication Technology

•Technical Vocational Education, Specialized Craft Subjects

•HFLE (Health and Family Life Education)

•Modules on Aids and Social Reproduction Health

•Values Education

•At risk youth, Project Peace

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL REFORM

CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination)

Other Areas of School Support

•School Transport Service- Currently over 200 maxi taxis transport students daily, students are also transported by Public Transport Service Commission (PTSC) buses at an annual cost of $30million TT.

•School Nutrition Programme- This programme provides daily breakfast and daily lunches for students from early childhood to secondary levels.

•The Text Book Rental Programme- provides essential textbooks on loan to 75,000 secondary school students.

•Book Grants of one thousand dollars per student are provided through an innovative visa card. For September 2004, thirty thousand students entering fourth and sixth form classes were targeted to receive the grant.

EDUCATIONAL REFORM WITHIN THE TERTIARY EDUCATION SECTOR

It is well recognized that teachers along with other school administrators lie “at the heart of the nation’s drive” because they are the professionals charged with the responsibility of translating into effective classroom practice the conviction that every child can learn”.

TEACHER TRAINING

Executive Diploma in School Management and Effective Leadership Programme,

Certification Programme in School Management and Effective Leadership,

Bachelor’s in Education programme

Master’s in Education for Principals

Diploma in Technology Education

Multi-media Specialists

Special Education Teachers

Post-graduate diploma in Visual and Performing Arts

Specialized Craft Teachers

School Librarians

EDUCATIONAL REFORM AND SPECIAL NEEDS

Provision of ramps at all new primary and secondary schools to facilitate access of students in wheelchairs

Provision of additional diagnostic and intervention support through psychologists at the educational district level as well as ensuring prescriptive services at some educational districts

Increases in the number of concessions granted to students with physical and learning disabilities that are registered for national, regional and international examinations

CETT – Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Teacher TrainingThis centre was set up to provide innovative leadership in inspiring, empowering and equipping teachers in the first three grades of the primary school, to improve the teaching of reading and thereby assist students in mastering the fundamentals of reading.

Co-ordination with the Ministry of Health to have all students screened for visual and learning disabilities. This would include testing and provision of spectacles and hearing aids where necessary.

Continuation of the issue of book grants for students in secondary schools

Continuation of providing school meals for students at all levels on a daily basis

Provision of Special Education Teachers, Guidance Officers and School Social Workers in primary schools to work with learning and behaviourally challenged students.

The groups of exceptional students, apart from those with early recognisable abilities are:

•Those with sensory abilities – 50% with undetected vision impairments

•Those intellectually below normal – app.25%

•Students with learning disabilities – app.10%

•The gifted and talented – app.2%

Maurice Report (1959)

The Private School Ordinance (1961)

The Education Act (chapter 39:1, 1966)

Save the Children International Network (late (1960’s)

Bernard van Leer Foundation (1970’s)

UNICEF Conference “ the Need for Young Child in the Caribbean”

The International Year of the Child (IYC) 1980s

Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)

Documents, Conferences and Foundations concerning Educational Reform

1990- World Summit Goals for Children

1986- 91 -SERVOL partner with the Ministry of Education

1989- National Council For Early Childhood Care and Education

1992- National Task Force on Education NTFE Education Policy Paper(1993-2003)

1994-95- Government in corporation with the World Bank. Begun the Fourth Basic Education Project.

1995- National ECCE Survey, Phase 1 conducted by High/Scope for the Ministry of Education.

1997- National ECCE Survey Phase II, High/Scope/M.O.E. Adoption of the Caribbean Plan of Action

2000- National ECCE Survey Phase III

2005 –Approved -Draft Standards for Regulating Early Childhood Services in Trinidad and Tobago

2006- Draft National ECCE Curriculum Guide developed and approved