With thousands of students preparing to return to the classroom on Monday, the Ministry of Education says it is making final checks to ensure schools are ready for the new academic year.
But beyond the physical readiness of schools, the Ministry is also rolling out changes aimed at improving student performance, expanding technology in the classroom and strengthening school safety.
Speaking on the new weekend show, FOCUS with host Ria Roopchandsingh, Minister of Education Dr. Michael Dowlath says the changes are part of a broader effort to modernize the education system.
The new school term begins Monday, September seventh, with the Education Ministry reporting progress on repairs across the nation’s public schools.
More than 300 schools were included in this year’s vacation repair programme, as authorities worked to address maintenance issues before students return.
“I did a school tour yesterday just to check on a sample of the schools together with the CEO of MTS, and we have been assured that all of the public schools will be ready for reopening for September 7th on Monday.”
The Minister says the repair programme is necessary given the age of much of the country’s school infrastructure.
But he says the Ministry is also seeing encouraging signs in student performance.
At SEA, the number of students scoring 90 percent and above rose to 670, compared with 557 last year.
And while the overall CSEC pass rate remained around 70 percent, the number of students earning eight Grade Ones or more increased from 457 to 528.
“We supported our SEA students and their parents and their teachers with AI-supported SEA past papers, and, you know, we were so happy that there was a significant improvement in the results. The math mark improved from 52.1 percent to 53.8 percent, and, you know, math is the issue both at SEA and at CSEC.”
Artificial intelligence is now being incorporated into learning resources, including e-books and AI avatars designed to support students even in areas with limited connectivity.
The Ministry is also expanding broadband access in schools and providing laptops through its Learning Without Limits initiative.
At the same time, school safety remains a priority.
School-oriented police officers were introduced in 51 schools during the last academic year, with the Minister reporting a reduction in serious offences.
“We’ve surveyed principals. More than 80 percent of the principals are satisfied with the operation of the police in schools. We’ve seen a reduction during break time, before school and after school incidents. There was about a 21 percent decrease in serious offenses, and we are looking to strengthen that relationship as we go forward.”
As the new school year gets underway, the Ministry says its focus will extend beyond academic results.
New initiatives will target literacy, early identification of learning challenges, parental involvement, physical activity and healthier food options in school cafeterias.
The objective, according to the Education Minister, is a more holistic approach to preparing students for life beyond the classroom.