The Ministry of Education and Culture is said to be well on its way to achieving its seven strategic priorities as outlined in the Education Sector Plan.

Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE, while delivering his Government’s Mid-Term Report on July 10, explained that the ministry, led by Honourable Myron V. Walwyn is seeking to improve leadership and management in the schools and that the first cohort of principals and senior teachers have been trained by the National College of Educational Leadership. The second cohort is on its way to completion.

Premier Smith said, “We have been working to enhance the knowledge and skills of our educators to integrate the use of technology in the education process. Through innovative public/private collaboration with Digicel and Flow, we have added bandwidth in all our public schools and today all 328 students in Grade 5 across all our public primary schools now have access to laptop computers. Soon we will expand into Grade 6.”

The ministry’s strategic priorities includes improving the quality and accountability of leadership and management, improving teachers' professional development, improving the quality of teaching and learning, improving curriculum and strategies for assessment, increasing (and expanding) access to quality Early Childhood Development Services (ECDS), providing opportunities for all learners in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and increasing provisions for tertiary and continuing education.

The Premier also recognised the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports as the department that has currently undergone significant restructuring - with a new vision and mission, core principles and values articulated to guide the work of the department.

He further added, “And we continue our efforts to build the Rehabilitation Unit at Her Majesty’s Prison, Balsam Ghut. The education programme was fully established for the 2016/2017 school year and already, two inmates have been able to complete studies and gain their High School Diplomas.”

Over the past five years, the Ministry of Education and Culture has been committed to ensure a culture of excellence through a number of significant improvements in the public education system - from the introduction of economically and culturally significant subjects such as Financial Services, Tourism and Civics, to the incorporation of technology in classrooms.

Photo Caption: Graduates at the 2017 ESHS Graduation Exercise. (Photo Credit: Franklyn Skerritt/GIS)