Public schools administrators were admonished to be organized and ready to provide the most ideal environment for students to succeed in the 21st century, when they convened yesterday for their annual Administrators Conclave 2019. 

Administrators from across the country came together for the three-day conclave, which began with a church service on Sunday evening, under the theme, “Effective Leadership: One Team, One Goal”. 

Minister of Education Jeffery Lloyd, in his keynote address to the administrators, told them that education is undergoing a revolution, the world over and “The Bahamas is, therefore, enmeshed in this vortex of change”.

“The future political, social, cultural and economic sectors will depend on the contributions of the students of our schools,” he added.

“More than ever before education must be visionary and future-oriented.

“In order to cope with rapid changes in the 21st century, innovation, technology, and research, including self-management in the learning process are indispensable tools for students, teachers, administrators and policy makers. 

“Failure to innovate, by and large, means repeating yesterday’s educational programmes and strategies tomorrow, which will only further jeopardize education’s ability as a contributor to national development.”

As the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s primary goal for education is to help individuals and nations identify and develop the knowledge and skills that drive better jobs, better lives and generate a prosperity while promoting social inclusion, Minister Lloyd told the school administrators that in the knowledge economy, memorization of facts is insufficient for success. 

He essentially told the administrators that students must be taught with new creativity to be able to continue life-long learning.

“To thrive in today’s innovation-driven economy, all of us will need a different mix of skills than in the past. In addition to foundational skills, like literacy and numeracy and oracy, we are going to need what social scientists and educational psychologists call the four C’s: collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and communication,” Mr. Lloyd said. 

“Never before, unlike anytime before, those skills will be essential in the problem solving and character qualities that this 21st century demands and will require.”
Minister Lloyd further told the public school administrators that the ultimate goal of the Ministry of Education, as it has aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goal four, is to equip Bahamians with the 21st century skills needed.

Mr. Lloyd told the administrators that they are one team with everyone having a part to play, being accountable and no one taking a pass

The Administrators Conclave 2019 is also anticipated to have administrators participate in sessions focused on school management, finances, interpersonal communication, discipline, personnel management, disaster management, curriculum development and implementation 

The conclave is being held at the Baha Mar Convention Center and ends on Tuesday.