Changes to primary school curriculum coming

Many primary school students are capable of math comprehension, but not the required analysis.

So said Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles, who noted that that this was a major weakness discovered during the first assessment of Standard One to Standard Three students done earlier this year.

“That is a shortcoming because in respect of what is referred to as the taxonomy of learning objectives. The higher order levels of thinking, we must teach those as well and prepare students for those, because that is the only way you become problem solvers,” said Charles, who is also the Secretary for Education.

“We believe that over time, our students will be better prepared in respect of some of these national exams,” he said, adding that the Division continues to implement programmes to strengthen the basic skillsets of students.

Charles also said teachers were working on changes to model lesson plans with the aim of improving the island’s primary school curriculum.

“We have a small group of teachers who are engaged in preparing model lesson plans based on the primary school curriculum,” he said, adding that these plans will be vetted by curriculum officers at the Division.

“Once approved or amended, (the curriculum) would be placed on our website itself for use by teachers, so we are in fact providing some help for teachers, in respect of the design of instructions in our schools,” he added.

Charles said the new modules were expected to make learning easier for students.