|
March 13, 2007
A taskforce has been created to put together the island's first comprehensive
education policy. Heading the project is consultant and education specialist Dr.
Lennox Bernard from Trinidad. Bernard is well known in Saba for his work with the
Educational Innovations Bureau. Bernard spent last week on Saba setting up a
taskforce with representatives from various sectors: the elementary and secondary
schools, businesses, nongovernmental organisations, and parents/community, amongst
others.
Saba Comprehensive School teacher Constance Clement will be in charge of setting up
a secretariat in the Innovations Bureau so that the various backup information and
documentation can be catalogued and available for review. Teacher Sam Belmar from
Sacred Heart will be in charge of creating the survey instruments and validating the
statistics. Much of the information will be digitised for sharing and organizing.
"Saba can be a model of educational change," Bernard said. He will work with the
taskforce via the Internet and will return three times to the island before wrapping
up the project in about six months.
Bernard emphasized the importance of the project: "This is a big thing, we are
changing lives." Bernard had prepared a 35-week schedule with milestones. The first
taskforce chore is to prepare a situational analysis. Taskforce chairperson and
Island Head of Education Franklin Wilson said that it was a grassroots approach to
get the Saban community behind the effort and not just produce a run-of the mill
policy borrowed from elsewhere. "This will be a substantial document," Wilson
commented. The task force will carry out community interviews and eventually call on
outside experts to give information, such as more explanation about the Caribbean
Examinations Council (CXC) exam changes. The group will then write their reports on
the current situation, which will lead to further analysis of strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats. At this halfway point, Bernard will return to Saba to
consult with the group on the steps leading to the initial draft policy. The final
report is expected around September.
 Back to community news page.
|
