Education stakeholders express hopes for academic year ahead

By Lara Pickford-Gordon

snrwriter.camsel@catholictt.org

The past year had its share of challenges and issues in the education sector, some of which cannot be resolved in the short term. With the start of the new academic year 2024-2025, The Catholic News asked education stakeholders about their hopes for the year.

Sharon Mangroo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM), is hoping for constant improvement in education delivery and the performance of students at RC schools.

She said: “I’m not thinking only of their academic performance but I am thinking of their growth as children of God and to do that we are looking at putting in place, expanding our quality assurance system and working harder at linking the parishes and the schools so that the parish ministry to the schools…and that way we can minister to our children and meet their needs. Again, we are developing the whole child.”

The CEBM has been working with the Ministry of Education (MoE) to build a stronger partnership. Mangroo added, “especially with the human resources division, the deputy permanent secretary there has been very, very, accommodating. So, we are working to establish systems that work so that our schools could be staffed with teachers on a timely basis.”

The CEBM recently received 16 letters of appointment for new teachers and is awaiting approvals for transfers.

The CEBM has maintained constant communication with the Minister regarding timely allocation of disbursements, “and setting up systems” for feedback. “We’ve given them a list of contact information, so they know who to contact….it is developing the communication between us.”

Walter Stewart, President T&T National Council of Parent Teacher Associations (NPTA) Inc expressed hope for “the mitigation of the indiscipline” which has occurred especially in the last academic year.

He emphasised the importance of implementing a school-based management (SBM) system as this “speaks to the governance of our schools”. Stewart elaborated: “[in] many instances, we realise that the governance of schools, the leadership structure at schools is lacking and if you are able to address some of these leadership issues, including of course proper training of our principals and senior teachers, it may help to mitigate some of the issues that we are facing relevant to even indiscipline, infrastructure at schools etc”.

SBM also includes engagement and involvement of parents. Stewart said, “in any decision that the schools have to make, the parents are intimately involved in such decisions”.

The NPTA also hopes for “greater stakeholder engagement” from the MoE and seeks to establish “a closer link” with the eight education districts (seven in Trinidad, one in Tobago).

“All the challenges, all the problems can be referred in the initial stages to the school supervisors at these specific education districts and they in turn can escalate to the head office on St Vincent Street and there should be some kind of attention or remedial action taken on the problems,” Stewart said.

While the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination results were “outstanding”, the NPTA noted concerns with the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate results.

The Caribbean Examinations Council reported a 36 per cent pass rate for Mathematics, a seven per cent decline from last year, and a two per cent dip in English A to 76 per cent.

Stewart said, “there needs to be a deeper dive into what is taking place with the curriculum especially in all primary schools and if we were able to properly deliver the curriculum in the primary schools.”

On school repairs, the NPTA recommends principals “pay greater attention to the repairs necessary on their schools” and submit monthly reports, as required, to education district offices for action.

If the MoE prepares a comprehensive list and  scope of work and other processes by the end of the second term, repairs can commence on the “first day” of the July-August vacation.

The NPTA called on the government to encourage corporate support for  education system upgrades especially infrastructure through tax concessions and incentives.

“The Minister used a figure of $2 billion. If she gets $2 billion she can adequately take care of all the repairs in all the schools that are necessary. We don’t find this is unachievable if at all we adopt a school as she recommended this year when she launched the adopt a school programme.”

Teachers’ union

The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) hopes for a safe and secure environment in all schools. Martin Lum Kin, TTUTA President, said: “we believe the ethos and atmosphere of all schools should be such that they promote a conducive environment for the teaching and learning process.” TTUTA called for the harmonisation of written, hidden, co-curricular and extra- curricular activities toward the development of the intellectual, emotional, mental and physical well-being of students and the nation.

Lum Kin said, “We hope for all schools to be well resourced to deliver the curriculum and to enhance the experiences of our students”.

Ministry support for educators to advance their skills and training was mentioned. Lum Kin continued, “we would really like to see more equipment and furniture being presented to the nation’s schools”.

On school violence and indiscipline, TTUTA hopes for a drastic decrease and for parents to work with schools in a positive way to bring about meaningful changes.

“We look forward to a more caring and empathetic society and school environment,” Lum Kin said.