EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES IN THE CARIBBEAN Senator Hazel Manning Minister of Education Trinidad and Tobago

IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION To the man-in-the-street Education is seen as: The panacea for change and the promise of a better quality of life

IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION To the politician education is seen as: A solution to poverty alleviation, social mobility, equality of opportunity, social problems, management of the changes in values system. The key to productivity and human resource development.

IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION To the teacher, education is seen as: That which should contribute to the development of the potential of the child to contribute to the development of the nation and by extension, “World Development”

THE CARIBBEAN Relatively small population (21M) Small land area Limited natural resources Range of diversity High level of dependency on international forces Economic vulnerability

EDUCATION REFORM The perceptions of the importance of education and the limitations faced by the Caribbean both in terms of quality and quantity has resulted in education reform throughout the Caribbean region.

EDUCATION REFORM The implication of globalization makes it necessary to reform our education systems ; for it requires us to adapt our own education content to meet not only our local demands, but also our international concerns.

MAJOR CHALLENGES Economic Youth unemployment Skill shortages in key areas of the economy New jobs associated with higher technology occupations requiring higher entry levels A mismatch between the graduates and the available jobs.

MAJOR CHALLENGES Social Receding influence of the family A conduit for the Illicit international drug trade High crime rate and gang warfare HIV/AIDS – increasingly the cause of death rate for those between the age of 15 and 45 years

MAJOR CHALLENGES ICT’s How do we effectively integrate the new ICT’s into all aspects of education provision?

MAJOR CHALLENGES The Changing Environment The nature and organization of work The need for retraining and retooling The important role of knowledge as a factor of production The emphasis on Information Technology

MAJOR CHALLENGES Political A robust democracy Peace A creation of a state of esteem

MAJOR CHALLENGES Educational Existing curriculum content and pedagogical methods are being questioned Students leave school ill-prepared for the world of work and adulthood. High incidence of illiteracy and numeracy. Marked gender differences in achievement. Curriculum changes without the necessary changes in assessment

MAJOR CHALLENGES Educational cont’d Untrained teachers at the Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary levels Student under-performance High levels of student attrition Student repetition of grade levels Harmonization of curriculum and assessment across the region

MAJOR CHALLENGES Educational cont’d Inadequate policy for recruitment and selection of teachers Lack of systems of certification, evaluation and licensing of teachers Unsure about the place of Tech/Voc in secondary schools The harmonization of competencies, skills for certification of students for the world of work Facilitating the success of the CSME

MAJOR CHALLENGES There seems to be no other alternative right now and in the near future for countries in the Caribbean but to collaborate in all areas of development utilizing the new technologies and benefiting from those that have begun the change process, at the same time maximizing the resources at their immediate disposal.

CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION Thank You