Garcia: Year of improvement

EDUCATION Minister Anthony Garcia saids 2018 has been "a year of improvement" in education.

In a statement, Garcia described this year as "a rollercoaster year for all of us in education."

But, he said, "We were able within this year to see the best academic performance in the Caribbean Secondary Entrance Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) in the past ten years.

"We were able to see the achievement of one young man in the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) as he attained 100 per cent in all three components and the continued increase in student performance in the SEA."

This year, he said, his ministry had reviewed the National Schools Code of Conduct, held public consultation on the draft education policy, formed committees, and reviewed and implemented cost-saving measures in the School Feeding Programme and the school transport service offered in conjunction with the Public Transport Services Corporation.

But he said it had not been smooth sailing: flooding and an earthquake "affected a number of our schools causing staff and students to be displaced in some instances but we remained resilient."

He was heartened that teachers, principals and parents "found innovative ways to ensure curriculum delivery" while the ministry worked to return the schools to normality.

Garcia pledged, "We will continue to work to have all our students return to comfortable spaces."

He was pleased the ministry was able to create employment through the renewal and offering of over 500 contract positions in the Information and Communication Technology Division, Early Childhood Care and Education Division, Student Support Services Division, Multicultural Music Programme Unit and various other units and departments.

He called these employees a welcome addition to the complement of staff at the ministry and said they had hit the ground running.

He said the ministry has continued its focus on student achievement through the development and monitoring of students through the Form One Initiative, Penmanship with a Purpose programme and itsflagship initiative. the Laventille / Morvant Schools’ Improvement Project (LMSIP), which centred on literacy and numeracy, parenting in education and school safety and security and infrastructure.

Garcias added, "We will be moving with a fervour and drive for success into 2019."

He said in 2019 that all education stakeholders would "work toward achieving an output of citizens into our country that (sic) are holistically developed and committed to excellence in every aspect of their lives."