Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman has laid out a plan to overhaul the island’s education system, saying the goal is to make every school, especially those at the secondary level, an exceptional one.
He outlined the ministry’s five key focus areas under the ongoing education transformation agenda, during a press conference on Monday.
“These include enhancing student achievement, improving teacher quality, upgrading school infrastructure, strengthening the ministry’s operations, and updating the legal framework that governs the education sector,” Blackman said. “Work has already started in each of these areas.”
Among the initiatives now underway is the rollout of a revised curriculum which includes coding, robotics, civics, and digital literacy, and the upcoming launch of a School of Excellence in Early Childhood Care and Development.
The minister said schools are also being upgraded using designs submitted in a national competition, with a focus on climate resilience and sustainability.
Teacher training is being expanded through workshops at the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, and plans are in motion to establish a Teaching Service Commission, Leadership Institute, and an independent quality assurance body.
Blackman also confirmed that a full review of the Education Act and supporting regulations is in progress, sharing that the updated legislation will cover areas such as special education, psychosocial support, social-emotional learning, and quality assurance.
Prefacing the new school year, he said the ministry will be working closely with secondary school principals to ensure that students entering in September receive the support they need from the very beginning.
“We have to ensure that it’s not business as usual,” he said. “Every secondary school has a duty to make the school experience one we can all be proud of.”
He stressed the importance of meeting students where they are in terms of their abilities, goals, and circumstances, and giving them a clear path to succeed.
The transformation efforts also include the development of an Inclusive Education Policy and Strategy, aimed at creating more opportunities for both students with learning difficulties and those who are academically gifted.
A town hall meeting on the policy will be held this Wednesday, June 18.
Blackman thanked teachers, principals, support staff and parents for their continued contribution to student success, saying the work now being done across the education system was about building a stronger future for the country.
“We are in the process of creating a world-class nation, driven by an education system that prepares our students for the changing world ahead,” he said. (SM)
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