Assembly passes motion on teaching students about Tobago

The Tobago House of Assembly has passed an amended motion resolving that students’ education “be grounded in the knowledge of and appreciation for the historical, environmental, socio-cultural and political reality of Tobago,” and that the school curriculum “reflect effective and deliberate use of resources and stimuli that are based primarily on our Tobago context but must be sufficiently flexible to incorporate national, regional and international realities.”

The motion was moved at the September 27 plenary by Minority Assemblyman Farley Augustine, who sought to have the House agree to “an appropriately named subject” incorporating Tobago’s environment, history, heritage, culture and governance, and which would become mandatory for all the island’s students in the 109/2020 academic year.

However, Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles, who is also Secretary of Education, in proposing amendments, said that while members on the Majority bench agree with the intention and the spirit of the motion, the challenge was with the curriculum and disagreed with the need to create a new subject.

“One of the problems we have in this country has to do with our measurements systems because what is not measured is not usually taught. The challenge we face really, is how do we get our teachers to become a little bit more clinical in the preparation of their work and it is for that reason that one of the concepts that we would have been talking about is metanoia which is a transformation of the mind, a kind of renaissance because that is what is required.

“The truth be told unless there is sufficient measurement and accountability within the system, we would always have the challenge of insufficient work been done in several subject area. We think that the fundamental solution really rests with getting our teachers up to speed,” Charles said.

Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Chief Secretary with responsibility for Education, Marisha Osmond argued there was “no need to add more on plenty by introducing a new subject.”

“Teachers all over Tobago, all over this island know that they have to teach using modern techniques. All of them went to college, all of them went to UTT (University of Trinidad and Tobago) and they know that they have to teach using modern techniques, they have to teach using the arts and they must take their charges on these famous field trips.

“They have to use resource persons, these are things that are common to us as teachers. Teachers all over this island knows of and about this new curriculum, they have access to the books and they can use it. What is required on the part of all our teachers, all our educators, is thorough research, planning, preparation, solid content and the effective delivery inside and outside of the classroom,” she said.