Minister of Education Dr Michael Dowlath believes the Ministry’s ongoing curriculum reforms could create new opportunities for innovation.
Speaking at the Future Forward Programme on Wednesday, he pointed to the Deep Wonders of Trinidad and Tobago and the Adjacent High Seas Expedition as examples of the kind of innovation and scientific exploration the education system is seeking to inspire.
“That is the first ever locally led deep-sea scientific exposition in our waters. And so there are over 16 scientists from our universities that are going out on this big ship around Trinidad and Tobago and they are using those remote vehicles that would go close to over 3,000 metres under water to see what lies on the sea bed.”
He indicated that the expedition represents the innovation that the Ministry wants to cultivate in young people through the changes in the curriculum.
“The curriculum needs to continue to change. At the primary school, we are introducing the continuous assessment from Standard 3 up, and we’re including visual and performing arts, the science, the STEM subjects. We’re introducing the physical education and together with digital technology, preparing our students for when they enter into secondary school for our Learning Without Limits Programme, our laptop initiative.”
The Future Forward Programme equips students, entrepreneurs and community members with future-ready skills in artificial intelligence, coding, sustainable energy and entrepreneurship.
The initiative is a collaboration between the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) and Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited.