Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald says moving forward in order for the country’s students to maximize their full potential for academic and life’s success it will not only take the government’s efforts but parents alike.
Thousands of students headed back to school yesterday.
Going into the 2016/2017 school year the government is patting itself on the back for all it has been able to accomplish over the last four years.
“You will see, we have far exceeded what was outlined and we have been able to accomplish far more than even we thought possible in such a short space of time. We established the National Preschool Council, which is commissioned to regularize and standardize preschool education nationally for both publicly and privately owned preschools.” Mr. Fitzgerald said.
“At the primary school level, we have increased literacy and numeracy instruction time significantly, we have made special education a priority .The Marjorie Davis Institute for Special Education is designed to meet the unique learning needs of each student.”
The minister gladly included that at the same level there has been a steady increase in GLAT scores over the past three years.
There have also been improvements in BJC results, and for the first time the country has placed focused on moving away from a one size fits all education system.
Chiefly among the successes of the ministry’s works is the upcoming November 10th date for the College of the Bahamas (COB) to officially become The University of The Bahamas.
“The economic implications are far-reaching and our hopes for the University of The Bahamas remain high as it becomes an integral part of the growth and development of our beloved country,” he said.
The Education Minister did not simply praise the government but acknowledged there is still much left to be done.
“In this regard, we have incorporated integration instruction into subjects like science, social and religious studies that can be taught through reading. This method of integrated instruction strengthens the learning process due to consistent reinforcement,” Mr. Fitzgerald said.
“We are contributing to a modern Bahamas by ensuring that many of our students have access to technology and computerized literacy programmes. One example is the Tune Into Reading programme, which is a public-private-partnership with Wendy’s and Mission Educate Bahamas along with Corporate Bahamas.”
Now in keeping with its mandate to advance the technological system throughout the country’s public educational institutions, some $6million dollars has been invested in this sector, the largest single investment in the public school history in the country.
The minister also announced the “Shared Vision for Education 2030” policy document that will aim to raise graduation rates from 50 percent to 85 percent by the year 2030.
Mr. Fitzgerald touted that the younger generation is the future of the country and no expense be it monetary or time spent could be spared in assuring their success.
