ACHIEVEMENTS: Ministry of Education
SOME ACHIEVEMENTS IN EDUCATION UNDER THE PEOPLE’S PARTNERSHIP GOVERNMENT:
Under the Early Childhood Care and Education
(ECCE) Programme, 29 ECCE centres were
constructed, moving our country towards the goal of
universal pre-school education.
ECCE centres were opened in Retrench, Golconda,
Wellington Road, Harmony Hall, Carlsen Field and
Maraval, Malabar Phase 1 with new centres opened in
Phase II Malabar.
24 ECCE centres are being constructed with Inter-
American Development Bank (IDB) support and the
construction of another 80 ECCE centres will begin
shortly.
520 infrastructural projects for repair and
refurbishment were conducted in ECCE centres,
primary and secondary schools in 2011.
Training of 600 persons in ECCE education has
commenced by the various tertiary providers to
expand the cadre of teachers required in this field.
The Spiritual Shouter Baptist community was elated
at the opening of its first primary school, the St.
Barbara’s Spiritual Shouter Baptist Primary School,
after land was first granted by the United National
Congress Government 15 years ago.
Implementation of the curriculum for holistic
development of students at all levels of the primary
school is in progress.
A complete review of the primary school curriculum
was conducted and recommendations implemented.
Executed a 2-day, stakeholders ‘consultation for
inclusion of Visual and Performing Arts and Physical
Education to be taught to Standard 5 students.
The date of the SEA examination has now been
changed to May.
More than 55,000 laptops, each loaded with 14
licensed Microsoft packages, security and monitoring
features, have been distributed to Form One students
since the laptop distribution programmes inception.
More than 4,000 teachers received laptops for the
academic year 2011, with ICT training provided for
3,500 teachers.
Reading workshops were held for 300 teachers and
100 principals.
The eConnect and Learn programme is being
expanded to include provision of a digital portal,
teacher training, wireless connectivity in primary and
secondary schools, educational content software and
infusion of technology.
Distribution of laptops with instructional materials
and digital information to primary school principals
in fulfilment of a promise made during a workshop.
Hosted a Principals’ Leadership Conference on “The
Leader in Me” for principals, teachers and school
supervisors.
Hosted a Special Needs Forum for stakeholders to
address the educational problems facing the nation’s
Special Needs Children, given that some 30 per cent
of the student population are diagnosed with special
needs issues annually.
Progress was advanced towards the construction of
the Tobago School for Special Needs Children.
A consultancy was initiated for full neuro developmental and
related screening, assessment and treatment of all students in
eight ECCE centers and eight primary schools, which will determine the
incidence and prevalence of the various special needs.
The reopening of the Biche Secondary School,
abandoned by the previous administration, reduced
the inconvenience to parents and children, who
previously travelled long distances to school.
Completion of training of approximately 80 teachers
in the two-year Masters degree programme aimed at
improving reading skills among new secondary school
entrants.
The first time celebration of World Teachers Day by
the Ministry of Education. The nation’s teachers were
honoured in addition to 240 retirees and 158 top performing
SEA students.