|
– Minister BakshAlthough the education sector has been earnestly striving to improve the delivery of service, it has been plagued with some problems over the years,Davante Adams Packers Jersey UK, according to Education Minister,Jerome Bettis Steelers Jersey UK, Shaik Baksh.Baksh’s comments came last Thursday during the budget debates when he attempted to justify the performance of the sector over the past year and the need for the $20.4 B which was allocated to aid the sector’s operation this year.Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh According to the Minister, primary among the challenges of the sector is the lack of trained teachers, a situation which is scheduled to be addressed over the next five years.“I want to make it pungently clear that there are many challenges in the education sector and this is in the Education Strategic Plan, trained teachers…this is a problem. Over the next five years we intend to move the percentage of trained teachers from 57 per cent to 70 per cent,Ross Cockrell Steelers Jersey UK, having regards for attrition rates.”The Minister highlighted that already,Keanu Neal Falcons Jersey UK, $160 M has been added to the sector’s budget of which $100 M will be directed towards teachers’ training.He further divulged that the Ministry will seek to utilise the latest technology in promoting distance education, including digital technology over the next five years to provide and enhance quality training of more than 2,000 teachers.Several teachers since last year have commenced an 18-month course to upgrade them in the subject areas of English and Mathematics.“We have now 60 teachers in Mathematics and 110 teachers in English and we will continue again this year to take in another batch of teachers. We have the distance modules to complement what is happening in the schools and all schools have a DVD in Mathematics and English and we will extend this to Science. We have also been running Mathematics and English workshops, especially during the August vacation. We are working very hard to train more of our teachers and emphasis is now being placed on training more secondary school teachers,” Baksh asserted.At the moment, the Minister divulged that the attendance rate at several schools is unsatisfactory,Tom Brady Patriots Jersey UK, thus there is an urgent need to move up the attendance rates as well as completion rates. The dropout rate at some schools must also be addressed urgently,Stephen Gostkowski Patriots Jersey UK, the Minister said, even as he emphasised the need for equity between rural and urban and coastland and hinterland areas.“We recognise those things and we will have interventions over a period of time to rectify them. However, the equity issue cannot be solved overnight. We have to put more resources, as we are doing,Martellus Bennett Patriots Jersey UK, to level the playing field in terms of more trained teachers in those areas,Grady Jarrett Falcons Jersey UK, more text books and a better learning environment.”And even as the Ministry unleashes a number of intervening measures to address the various challenges at some schools,Sammie Coates Steelers Jersey UK, Baksh noted that there is need for commitment on the part of teachers even as parents take on the key supporting role of ensuring that children complete their homework and spend less time in front of the television. |
|