Chair of the forty eighth Assembly of the Council for Human and Social Improvement (COHSOD) – Schooling and Grenada’s Minister of Schooling, Senator David Andrew, has highlighted adapting to altering know-how, the necessity for schooling transformation and the specter of local weather change as among the vital areas of focus for the schooling sector.
Minister Andrew made these feedback throughout the forty eighth COHSOD Schooling, hosted by the CARICOM Secretariat in Trinidad and Tobago from 24 to 25 October. The Assembly supplied a platform for stakeholders within the schooling sector to debate the challenges, studying gaps and threats to the standard of schooling, such because the affect of local weather change on schooling methods.
The Impression of Local weather Change
“The pressing problem we now have on this Assembly is growing a solution to the question- how can we be certain that our schooling system is responding to the fast realities that we face?” I ask this query as an Schooling Minister who’s now rebuilding and/or repairing 15 faculties that skilled various ranges of harm because of the passage of Hurricane Beryl on 1 July,” acknowledged Minister Andrew. He additionally expressed solidarity with different Member States recovering from Beryl’s destruction.
The Assembly Chair advocated for regional collaboration to remodel the schooling system into one that’s resilient to the affect of local weather change and gives higher alternatives and outcomes for the Individuals of the Caribbean Neighborhood.
“Now could be absolutely an opportune time to remodel our schooling system into one which has better ranges of resilience and delivers classes that create a climate-aware citizenry. I’m optimistic that choices we’ll make on this Assembly will serve to safe these and different necessary outcomes,” added the Chair.
Paradigm Shift towards Schooling Transformation
In her remarks, CARICOM Assistant Secretary-Common (ASG) for International and Neighborhood Relations, Elizabeth Solomon, mentioned that the Area agrees on a paradigm shift to align its schooling sector with the worldwide agenda for schooling transformation.
She acknowledged, “The [CARICOM] Secretariat has an bold mandate to implement the 2030 Technique, however we glance to your help as we overview to make the mandatory changes to satisfy our goal of 2030 and past. Based mostly on assessments up to now, all of us agree on the necessity for a paradigm shift and for the Caribbean Neighborhood to embrace and hold in keeping with the worldwide agenda for transformation of our schooling system.”
She added that one of many key drivers could be repositioning the schooling system to answer 2030 challenges. Because of this, schooling stakeholders are requested to re-examine the Area’s schooling requirements and the problems that have an effect on pupil studying.
CARICOM Secretariat Interventions for Schooling Transformation
ASG Solomon additionally highlighted the CARICOM Secretariat’s profitable interventions for the schooling sector. “Over the previous 12 months, we lay declare to some main accomplishments because of the help supplied by Member States, companions and worldwide donors. We proceed to construct robust partnerships, which have yielded optimistic outcomes. In collaboration with The College of the West Indies, Organisation of Easter Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean Improvement Financial institution (CDB), the CARICOM Secretariat launched Cohort 2 of the Studying Restoration and Enhancement Programme, referred to as “Let’s REAP”, for Caribbean faculties. Two thousand 2 hundred and forty-nine (2249) educators from 16 Member States and Affiliate Members are enrolled on this cohort, which commenced on 25 March 2024 and was accomplished in July 2024. Fifteen Thousand (15,000) educators – lecturers, principals, and Ministry of Schooling officers are focused for additional coaching,” acknowledged the CARICOM ASG.
She additionally highlighted the Digitalisation of TVET Supply Undertaking as one other profitable initiative. She famous that the Undertaking is establishing a regional digital platform that helps the digitalisation of TVET supply throughout CARICOM Member States.
Digital Schooling
Throughout her opening remarks, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Schooling, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, advocated for a tailor-made strategy to the Area’s digital schooling hole. “It’s not sufficient for us to ship the fundamental tenets of literacy and numeracy. On this dynamic world, we should equip our residents with the abilities and values wanted to maneuver by means of this revolving digital financial system. We within the Caribbean face distinctive challenges that require tailor-made options. So, whether or not we’re grappling with the widening academic gaps post-pandemic, the migration of expert expertise, or the strain to revitalise our [Technical and Vocational Education and Training] TVET methods to satisfy the calls for of the Twenty first-century workforce, our responses have to be deliberate and unified. COHSOD offers us with the best discussion board to trade concepts, craft insurance policies, and strengthen the networks that bind us as Caribbean brothers and sisters,” acknowledged the Minister.
CARICOM Ministers of Schooling, chief schooling officers, chief technical consultants and different regional stakeholders participated within the two-day session. Regional and worldwide companions, the Caribbean Affiliation of Nationwide Coaching Authorities (CANTA), the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), the Caribbean Improvement Financial institution (CDB), the Commonwealth Secretariat, the United Nations Instructional, Scientific and Cultural Group (UNESCO), the United Nations Youngsters’s Fund (UNICEF), and The College of the West Indies (UWI) additionally contributed.
