Looking back, Looking forward | Game changing for education

As we prepare the nation's children to unlock their fullest potential, in keeping with the Vision 2030 goals, it is a good time to reflect on the pivotal year in education that was 2018.

Two key game-changing developments come readily to mind which, albeit controversial, show sector responsiveness to emerging needs and are worthy of celebration. Notwithstanding, perfection does not exist anywhere, and there are some trouble spots that require urgent attention. For the trouble spots, 2019 should be your year.

Game changers - NSC & PEP

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MoEY&I) has made some significant strides in strengthening primary- and secondary-school curricula to ensure that Jamaica produces citizens with the competencies and attitudes valued across the globe. The National Standards Curriculum (NSC) places a premium on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathe-matics methodologies, project-based learning, and emphasises global skills and values such as collaboration, critical thinking and innovation. Placing tablets in schools help to provide the technology needed, and the announcement to pursue Programme for International Assessment in 2021 means that credential for credential, Jamaicans are being put in the position to stack up with the developed world.

Of course, we can't change the curricula at the primary and secondary levels without changing the way we assess, hence the introduction of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP). PEP rids the system of the burdensome GSAT syllabus and exam which required students to memorise content from grades four to six. This new approach is designed to assess the students' knowledge of grade six content in addition to placing increased emphasis on assessing their demonstration of 21st-century skills such as critical thinking and communication.

Together, the new curricula and testing approaches serve to eliminate the old rote method of instruction and the over-reliance on testing, which left deep thinking and analysis somewhere out in the cold.

Another big win for education is the partnership with the Ministry of Health's Jamaica Moves programme and the sugar ban. There is a reason why diabetes and hypertension are called lifestyle diseases; therefore, if we change our lifestyle, we can change the outcomes. Children learn what they live, and habits are formed early, so school is the perfect place to ensure a healthy lifestyle. A big win for us all; my only question is, why didn't we do this earlier?

But all is not well in paradise ...

Teacher preparation

While confident about classroom teachers' content knowledge, there are good reasons for concern regarding the number, quality and sustainability of the developmental and mindset training programmes to support the seamless introduction of the NSC/PEP. Despite our deficit, our teachers are good. This is evident in the level of achievement attained by our children when they migrate. The average child seems to suddenly discover their inner genius. This is an indication that our children can compete internationally with the best, if we prepare them to do so. Therefore, this new curriculum is asking our children to think, and so we must now get ready to encourage their questions and observations. This new approach requires a cultural shift for our teachers, and as we know, change does not happen overnight. Sustained and focused support is required for our existing classroom teachers to help them in this regard. We can no longer be afraid that children will 'show us up' when they challenge us with an alternate or new perspective. Critical thinking calls for critical thinking and a new level of confidence.

Teachers must be supported to attend professional development courses at a pace aligned to their individual learning needs and personal circumstances, rather than the brief summer interventions that currently prevail. On this note, we at The Mico stand ready to assist in this regard through online programme content, and convenient workshops.

Teacher migration

Like 2017, 2018 was plagued by teacher migration. There are a number of reasons why teachers choose to migrate, primary among them relates to salary and growth opportunities. Too many teachers are leaving the classroom, and what's worse, it's the best ones that go. The sciences and languages have been hit perhaps the hardest. Teacher migration, in and of itself, is not a problem, but in order to manage the process there are some clear decisions that must be made:

1) Do we deliberately train for export? If so, we must develop a mechanism to keep our teachers in the diaspora connected so that we can mutually benefit from this arrangement.

2) Do we offer our services to train teachers for these nations in need at a cost?

3) Do we address the elephant in the room and fix wages in order to attract and retain the brightest to the profession?

Funding teacher training institutions

The final perplexing issue relates to the funding of teacher-training institutions (TTIs). There really isn't a chicken-and-egg dilemma regarding where the government should invest. In order to develop our human capital along the lines valued by global standards, we need to produce teachers who are imbued with all the skills and competencies required to chart a new course. Investments must be made in our TTIs to ensure that they have the right facilities (smart rooms, labs, access to robotics, etc); well-qualified staff with terminal degrees strong in research and innovation; and adequate administrative structures to assure sound quality. It is 'business unusual', so we can't keep putting the cart before the horse. Investments in teachers and TTIs afford the greatest multiplier effect.

So as we say goodbye to 2018, we can conclude that we are headed in the right direction. We can now hope 2019 will be the time to address the other big-ticket obstacles in the path of our 2030 goals.

- Dr Asburn Pinnock is president of The Mico University College.