There are objections to the building and rehabilitation of schools across the country literally from the way up to Hosororo, Region One to Karasabai, Region Nine. Regions such as Ten and Seven have all had schools rehabilitated or built. This is even extended to the Sophia area where the new school is near completion.

This is not all to the educational development programme, and most persons are not aware of all the details rightly enough. This programme is extremely comprehensive and does not only involve the building of schools, but the training of teachers, the revising of the curriculum and the installation of a Schools Management Information System (SIMS) with the aim of promoting efficiency within the education sector.

Accusations of any nature to play down the efforts made to improve educational opportunities available are totally unfair.

Before we go any further, however, it must be injected that community consultations are facilitated to make progress on the reforming of the education sector. There are going to be laboratories, computers and other necessary facilities to make the school environment a productive one, as well as curriculum guides in all subject areas even in non traditional guide areas, namely study skills and career education and guidance, not forgetting special guides for the teachers themselves.

The Ministry has even revamped the National Fourth Form Achievement Test (NAFFAT) for the third form examination, a plan put in train to encourage more comprehensive work on children in preparation for the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) examination.

The process of restructuring the education system and providing more education opportunities allows for an investment in our human resource. And although some may be shortsighted, since they are not able to comprehend the vastness of these programmes, there is a plan to ensure quality development that even stretches across all Ministries which will allow us to have education systems on par with countries such as Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad.

The NDS stated that the highest priority for the first decade of the 21st century could be the development of the country’s human resources with specific reference to educational improvements with plans to have a greater portion of the country’s revenues spent on education. Identified in the PRSP were shortages in texts, science equipment and access to computers which were listed as basic needs of the education sector. There were recommendations too for the construction and rehabilitation of schools.

Persons may not be aware that the budget plan and allocation is to address the major concerns raised in the NDS and PRSP are to address the issues of reducing overcrowding and reforming the curriculum with a substantially larger budgetary allocation.
Aletha Grimes