Just how education is measuring up to the changes and demands in Anguilla and the need for improvement, was the objective of a review undertaken here on Tuesday this week, August 21, at Paradise Cove Resort.

Minister of Health, Evans Rogers (left) with Health Care personnel

The Annual Review of the Strategic Education Policy, Plan and Action, as the meeting was called, was a joint exercise involving Minister of Education, Evans Rogers, other officials from the Ministry and various senior personnel from the Education Department and the school system.

Speaking to The Anguillian about the review, the Minister said it was aimed at finding ways and means whereby the education sector could be improved. “Due to the present climate in Anguilla, there are some things that we need to do with the education sector that would help to prevent some of the anti-social behaviour that we are experiencing on the island,” he stated.

Educators at Education review meeting

He went on: “Education in general is not complete and whole. Even in the Third World countries, with all the resources they have, one finds that students, in one way or another, slip through the cracks. Anguilla is a lot smaller and we are trying to help those students who may not be academically apt but would have technical abilities.

“We are going to put things in place. We have a lot of challenges but we are working hard in order to achieve this. There is no magic to the human resource capacity. We all are lagging behind and we have to look for solutions. We are doing that as much as we can. However, tertiary education and technical vocation education still remain very high priorities and the Ministry of Education is working feverishly in order to accomplish this.

Educators at Education review meeting

“The teachers are here this morning. We will have various other meetings with various stakeholders including parents. We are all involved in this and at the end of the day we intend to put together an education system that we all can be proud of.”

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Rodney Rey, welcomed the participants and outlined various aspects of the education sector where improvement is needed.

Hon. Evans Rogers

A document circulated at the meeting listed various discussion topics for the review. They include the following: improving the school transportation service; improving provision for socially and economically disadvantaged students; improving attendance in primary and secondary schools; improving provision for students with provision for students with communication difficulties; monitoring and evaluating school performance; strengthening management and administrative capacity at primary and secondary level; and increasing the use of information technology as a teaching and learning tool.

The discussion topics also include reviewing the curriculum for English as a second language and improving the quality and provision of sports education; continuing the development of curriculum in music, dance and visual arts; formalising religious education in schools; improving provision for special educational and individual needs; strengthening alliances with parents and the community; enhancing peer counselling; fostering and promoting health in schools; implementing behavioural programmes; human resource development; enhancing the teacher training programme; increasing the number of teaching assistants; improving the Continuing Education Programme and strengthening and maintaining linkages with the private and business sector.

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