Inequity in education among challenges to be addressed in new five-year plan
Sep 02, 2021 , Source -- Kaieteur News Online -- https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...moes-five-year-plan/
Kaieteur News – With its focus on providing quality education and life-long learning for all, one of the Ministry of Education’s visions in the coming years is to further reduce inequity in the education sector.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand
This, among other objectives, is entailed in a five-year (2021-2025) education strategic plan launched by the Education Ministry. The strategic plan was launched yesterday even as the Ministry unveiled its month of activities to commemorate Education Month 2021 under the theme, “Education for all: Innovative teaching and learning in a global pandemic.”
During her opening remarks, the Minister of Education, Praia Manickchand, said that the plan is a culmination of extensive consultations and collaboration with a range of local and international education stakeholders and partners. The strategic plan was crafted around five pillars and, according to the Minster; it will “effectively capture all the core areas demanding our sustained focus and attention over the ensuing years.”
These five pillars are mainly to improve governance and accountability to improve performance at all levels, to improve the efficiency of the education system, to reduce inequities in education and to contribute to lifelong learning and employability.
Giving a brief overview of these pillars was the Chief Planning Officer (CPO) of the Ministry of Education, Nicola Johnson.
Speaking on governance and accountability, Ms. Johnson shared that the Ministry is looking at strengthening its management at the central, regional and school levels by 2025. The aim, she revealed too, is to have an integrated education management information system fully functioning by that time. This system, she said, will provide them with data on various education processes.
By 2025 too, she said the Ministry is aiming to improve students’ performance even as teachers at all levels receive “at a minimum, 30 hours of continuous development every year.”
Elaborating on the matter of inequities in education, the CPO explained that the Ministry’s target is to reduce the performance gap at the national and regional assessment between hinterland and coastal students. Another target she highlighted is to “ensure that students with sensory disability, the blind and deaf, those with speech impairment, participate in national and regional assessments by 2025.”
She also noted that the Ministry is also aiming to ensure post literacy and skills programmes are developed so as to provide opportunity and entrepreneurial skill development for youths.
Meanwhile, the Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson, in his remarks mentioned that the plan provides for “good governance and decision making…further it provides direction for the future.”
He noted too that it is a road map which can track, evaluate, and modify to facilitate better governance, decision and direction for all schools.