IT reveals in broad daylight the government’s focus on education as a pathway to self-development. Prime Minister Philippe J. Pierre has repeatedly said that his government puts people at the heart of the country’s development.
Indeed, hong. Sean Edward is poised to achieve that goal in the field of education.
The main resource of this beautiful country is its people. And the more educated they are, the more likely they are to develop our beautiful Helen nationally.
It should be understood that the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants have caused some setbacks in the education system over the last two years, with teachers and students absent from school for extended periods. It has taken a serious toll on our education system and has been superseded by some new ways of providing instruction to students.
Governments must build the resilience of education systems so that they can function with little or no disruption during future outbreaks like COVID-19.
Our education system should be able to restore and rebuild student access to educational opportunities very quickly after an outbreak.
Governments have started pouring oil into the machines to make this happen. And that will become clear as the Minister of Education pushes forward.
Our education system will soon develop a delivery platform that balances in-person teaching and remote learning, enabling personalization and differentiation.
The government has already committed to supporting all learners. In this regard, the government makes laptops available to all schoolchildren. It is an essential tool for enabling students to pursue self-development programs. Computers can be used inside and outside of school, allowing students to accelerate their learning. The student should understand that she needs to use her Wi-Fi both at school and at home. The government will make services available in communities where students can access services from home. If there is no internet there.
Ideally, students will have easy access to textbooks without having to purchase hard copies. Learning can be motivating and exciting for everyone.
The new education development plan includes collaboration with other ministries. The plan includes emotional support that is easily seen as a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.
The same strategy can be used between the Ministries of Education and Agriculture, which have started working together. The Prime Minister has already announced that he will promote school vegetable gardens during this school year. This means that the school will identify an agriculture teacher and provide the necessary gardening tools and seeds or seedlings.
Agriculture was the mainstay of the economy at the time, but I must reveal that I have been teaching agricultural science for over 20 years without the necessary tools. Agriculture didn’t get the attention it deserved at the time, or indeed for a very long time. Now with two dedicated Ministers of Education and Minister of Agriculture, you’ll see things happening in schools that you’ve never seen before.
Paying CXC fees to students is another area that will bear fruit. Many parents are in pain of having to find the money to pay for the exams of their children, who have been in secondary school for about five years. The Saint Lucia government is aware of the problem and stands ready to help parents who are unable to pay their fees. This in itself can motivate students to learn and excel at what they do.
Not only that, but the government, through the Ministry of Education, is now designing and implementing a curriculum that provides a pathway for young men to develop themselves through Technical and Development Training (Tech. Voc) or what is commonly known as TVET. is in the process of For decades there were very few schools in St. Lucia that offered a full TVET programme. The Government of Saint Lucia will, as a priority, provide the necessary tools and instructors to implement a vigorous TVET program. And I know young men will bring justice to this program.
Many years ago, the then Morne Institute of Technology in the Morne Educational Complex offered technical and vocational programs to a large number of young people graduating from primary school. And they did very well. In fact, many of them stayed on as lecturers at the university. What I had to pay for registration was minimal.
With the introduction of Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, registration fees have become exorbitant for many parents, much like CXC. And many of their male children who were more “practical” were left behind because they could not be sent to Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. You are part of a young man who is wreaking havoc in our community.
As an educator, I know that girls act out before boys until they reach puberty and level. However, CXC consistently shows that girls outperform boys on academic exams. But boys are exceptional in technical and professional fields, and the government is very right in addressing the weaknesses of our educational system.
If the Ministry pursued that area vigorously, crime in our country would drop significantly and we would all be delighted. Unfortunately, I may not be able to witness or experience it. But I’ll leave this article as a reminder of the very issue I just outlined.
