education
Minister of Education Shaik Baksh met on Monday with education stakeholders to discuss aspects of the secondary school curricula.
According to a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) Baksh said the ministry views consultations with stakeholders as critical in moving the education system forward.
The minister said Monday’s meeting dealt with four major issues relating to the secondary curriculum. These include whether there should be a limit to the number of subjects taken by students at grades seven, eight and nine; should English Literature be compulsory for students at the same grades; should students be placed in different streams after grade nine and if they are streamed should there be a limit to the number of subjects taught at grades ten and 11 for CSEC.
The consultation also discussed whether Health and Family Life Education should be a discrete and time-tabled subject at each grade and be extended to include moral education. The meeting also examined whether advanced level examinations should be discontinued and all students be taught in preparation for CAPE; whether there should be a limit to the number of subjects for students sitting CAPE and whether there should be compulsory subjects taken by students writing CAPE.
As regard limiting the number of subjects offered at CAPE exams, the minister said an analysis was done at two schools which revealed that few subjects attracted great numbers of students. Baksh then pointed out that resources are required to host these exams.
The meeting also examined whether any changes should be made to the curricula at sixth form schools and if a sixth form college should be established. The consultation also examined whether school hours should be changed to start at 8am.
According to GINA during the interactive sessions the majority of the participants were against the proposals. Students also supported the views of the education officials such as district education officers, representatives of school boards, head teachers and deputy head teachers.
