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A publication of the Educational Planning Division, Ministry of Education

Layout and design by the Corporate Communications Division, Ministry of Education

© Ministry of Education, June

2013 All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the prior written permission of the publishers.

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5 2011-2012Admin Report

“

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Foreword

I know of no more encouraging fact than

the unquestionable ability of man to elevate

his life by conscious

endeavour ”

s Minister of Education I am pleased to present the achievements of the Ministry for the period 1st October

2011 to 30th September 2012 in accordance with Section 66D of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago which charges the Honourable Minister of Education with the responsibility to submit to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago a report on the exercise of the Honourable Ministers’ functions on an annual basis.

It is with great pleasure that I report on the second year of my stewardship over the Ministry which commenced with the execution of the various new policies which were established as the foundation of the new strategic direction undertaken by the Ministry from 2010-2011, which in

- Henry Thoreau

essence placed the child at the centre of all initiatives.

Following from the strategic assessment, a number of issues were identified which require short, medium and long term interventions if the overarching strategic goals outlined in the Achievement Report are to be realised. Moreover, the vision for the ideal child was identified in the Value Outcomes for our children.

In pursuit of the vision therefore, the Ministry sought to address the priority areas critical to achieving quality education. The achievements identified in this report are based on these priority areas and demonstrate the Ministry’s commitment to the nation’s children.

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The Ministry has, over the period under review, made good on its promise to integrate ICTs in the education and development process through its laptop initiative. In so doing, it provided access to all Form 1 students to the benefits to be gained from e-learning.

Under the priority area, “Improving Infrastructure in Schools”, the Ministry has been able to utilise modern technologies to substantially reduce the cost of, and the timeframe for, school construction. This redounds to the advantage of the students who were able to benefit from state of the art facilities being completed in remarkably shorter time frames.

The consultation process for the recommended reform of the primary school curriculum was also completed, and the resultant feedback enabled us to develop a more relevant curriculum aligned to the achievement of our goals, with the introduction of the Continuous Assessment Component of the Secondary Entrance Assessment exams being undertaken.

Reflecting on fiscal year 2011- 2012, the transformation of the education system has certainly not only begun, but has become well entrenched as policy at the Ministry of Education.

AcrosstheentiresectorfromEarlyChildhood and Care Education (ECCE) to secondary levels, from the fiscal, administrative and policy methods used to execute the Ministry’s mandate of delivery and service to the people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago through the crucial education sector, sweeping positive changes have taken place

We have no doubt as we move forward, that the implementation of the plans and strategies in the Ministry’s Strategy Report 2011-2015, will give new life to the system and afford all children a better chance to succeed.

Through the efforts and support of the hardworking members of our staff at the Ministry, record levels of achievement were accomplished in the past year and we anticipate much more in the future. These achievements, together with the plans for the years ahead, are highlighted in this Administrative Report for fiscal 2011-2012.

Alongside the staff at the Ministry of Education and indeed all education stakeholders, I remain resolute in my efforts to ensure the success of every child.

Dr. the Honourable Tim Gopeesingh, MPMinister of Education

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ContentsFOREWORD 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 10

INTRODUCTION 13

CHAPTER 1: DESIGN AND DEVELOP A QUALITY EDUCATION SYSTEM 181. Integrating Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Education- eCal

Laptop Initiative 192. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) 233. Improving Infrastructure in Schools 264. Curriculum Reform 305. Enhanced Literacy and Numeracy 306. Movement of Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) from March to May 307. Expansion of the Technical/Vocational Programme 318. Teaching and Teacher Development 339. Improving Students Overall Academic Performance 3410. Testing and Neuro-Diagnostics of Children 4211. Continuous Assessment 4412. Career Guidance and Development in Secondary Schools 4413. Social Programmes 45

CHAPTER 2: TRANSFORMING THE MINISTRY INTO A HIGH PERFORMING ORGANIZATION 482.1 Organizational Restructuring and Institutional Strengthening 492.2 Human Resource Management and Strengthening 502.2.1 Staffing 50Teaching Service 51Civil Service 53

CHAPTER 3: ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION PROCESS 563.1 Engaging Stakeholders 573.2 Community Participation 583.3 Consultation with ECCE Providers 60

CHAPTER 4: FINANCIAL REVIEW 624.1 Recurrent Expenditure 634.2 Development Expenditure 66

CHAPTER 5: THE WAY FORWARD 70

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List of Key Boxes, Tables and Figures

LIST OF KEY BOXES

Box 1: Priorities for the attainment of a Quality Education System 18

LIST OF KEY TABLES

Table 1 Location of Nineteen (19) Early Childhood Care and Education Sites 24

Table 2 Number and Percentage of Students Placed in Secondary Schools by School Type: SEA 2008 – 2012 37

Table 3 Number and Percentage of Students invited to Repeat SEA: 2008 - 2012 38

Table 4 CSEC 2012: Number of students attaining five (5) or more subjects including Mathematics

and English A at government and government assisted secondary schools 40

Table 5 CAPE Unit I and II – 2008 – 2012 [Grades I – IV] 41

Table 6 Pilot Schools re: Testing and Neuro-Diagnostics of Children Project 43

Table 7 Distribution of meals by level and cost as at May 31st, 2012 46

Table 8 Ministry of Education’s Financial Allocation (2008 - 2012) 62

Table 9 Summary of Recurrent Expenditure for the Ministry of Education (2011 – 2012) 64

Table 10 Major recurrent expenditure under sub-heads for fiscal 2011 - 2012 65

Table 11 Summary of Development Expenditure for fiscal 2011 - 2012 67

Table 12 Budgetary Allocation for fiscal 2012 - 2013 68

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in Report 2

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LIST OF KEY FIGURES

Figure 1 Education and Development System Model 9

Figure 2 Value Outcomes for our Children 16

Figure 3 Minister of Education Dr. the Honourable Tim Gopeesingh [centre] with studentsduring the distribution of laptops 19

Figure 4 Participants at ECCE Consultation 23

Figure 5 St. Barbara’s Spiritual Baptist Primary School 26

Figure 6 Ministry’s Executive Team with the Presenters at “The Leader in Me” Conference 30

Figure 7 The percentage of Students who registered for CSEC over the period 2011- 2012 35

Figure 8 The total number of Boys and Girls who wrote CSEC in 2012 35

Figure 9 CSEC 2012 – Grades I – III Awarded by Subject Entries 36

Figure 10 Ministry of Education Officials, CXC Officials and Students at Awards Ceremony 38

Figure 11 Celebrations at the Ministry of Education 50

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Acronyms & AbbreviationsAIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

ASJA Anjuman Sunnat-Ul-Jamaat Association

CAC Continuous Assessment Component

CAPE Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination

CARICOM The Caribbean Community

CCETT Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Teacher Training

COLA Cost of Living Allowance

CSEC Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate

CSO Central Statistical Office

CVQs Caribbean Vocational Qualifications

CXC Caribbean Examinations Council

DERE Division of Educational Research and Evaluation

eCal e-Connect and Learn

ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education

EFCL Education Facilities Company Limited

EPD Educational Planning Division

GCE A’ Level General Certificate of Education – Advanced Level GCE

O’ Level General Certificate of Education – Ordinary Level GDP

Gross Domestic Product

GER Gross Enrolment Ratio

GORTT Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago HIV

Human Immuno-deficiency Virus

IDB Inter-American Development Bank

ICT Information and Communications Technology

JBTE Joint Board of Teacher Education

MOE Ministry of Education

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

NCSE National Certificate of Secondary Education

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min Report

NEC National Examination Council

NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations

NOSTT National Open School of Trinidad and Tobago

NPTA National Parent-Teacher Association

NSDSL National Schools Dietary Services Limited

NTA National Training Agency

PISA Programme for International Student Assessment

PMAP Performance Management and Appraisal Process

PTA Parent-Teacher Association

PTSC Public Transport Service Corporation

SEED South Eastern Education District

SESP Seamless Education System Programme

SEA Secondary Entrance Assessment

SEMP Secondary Education Modernization Programme

SERVOL Service Volunteered for All

SSSD Student Support Services Division

SSTs School Support Teams

TII/III Teacher II / III

TEST Tertiary Education, Science and Technology

TETPPU Teacher Education and Teacher Performance Project

Unit TIA Tackveeyatul Islamic Association

TML Trinidad Muslim League

TTDD Teaching and Teacher Development Division

TTUTA Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association

TVET Technical/Vocational, Education and

Training TVI/II/III/IV Technical/Vocational Teacher I / II/ III/ IV

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organisation UTT University of Trinidad and Tobago

VPA Violence Prevention Academy

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Vision, Mission, Education andDevelopment of the Child

VisionThe Ministry is a high performing and dynamic organization leading a quality education system that is responsive to the diverse needs of 21st century learners to contribute to the education and versatility of holistically developed children who are able to satisfy the human capital needs and sustainable development of society.

MissionTo educate and develop children who are: able to fulfil their full potential; healthy and growing normally; academically balanced; well-adjusted socially and culturally; and emotionally mature and happy.

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Admin Report 2-12

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Adm

in Report Figure 1: Education and Development System Model

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Executive Summary

ver the last two and a half years the Ministry of Education on behalf of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago laid a strong foundation for the re-engineering of the education system.

Guided by its Education Sector Strategic Plan 2011 – 2015 and the sixteen priorities for the development of the education system, the Ministry has sought to build a quality system on the blocks of transparency, accountability and collaboration with stakeholders and the general public. Through the process of people participation and collaboration, the Ministry succeeded in implementing several initiatives outlined in its strategic plan and conceptualized under the sixteen priority areas.

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By the close of fiscal 2011 - 2012, the Ministry had made significant progress in the majority of the priority areas which are highlighted here.

The Laptop Initiative and eConnect and Learn ProgrammeThis programme represents a comprehensiveset of projects in the ministry’s ICT initiative for students and teachers. One of these initiatives is the distribution of laptops to students entering secondary schools. For the academic year 2012-2013, seventeen thousand and fifty- eight (17,058) laptops were distributed to Form I students who entered school in September 2012. Meanwhile, eight thousand four hundred (8,400) teachers were trained in a number of ICT related courses to equip them with the necessary skills to infuse ICT into their teaching and learning strategies. As the eCal programme expands, training and the provision of digital content for teachers and students is ongoing and geared towards the development of students’ creativity, critical thinking and problem solving skills required for a technology driven skills based economy.

Ensuring the Attainment of Universal Early Childhood Care and Education Work continued on the measures adopted by the Ministry to provide universal early childhood care and education by 2015. To date, twenty nine (29) ECCE Centres were constructed and another fifty (50) are expected to be constructed by August 2013. The establishment of these seventy nine (79) new centres will result in over 5,000 additional children receiving an early childhood education. Apart from the construction of ECCE Centres, other options are being explored to create more places for children, among them, the conversion of spaces at underutilized primary schools into ECCE rooms and a public/private partnership arrangement with ECCE providers. The Ministry is also continuing its drive to locate

suitable land for construction of more Centres.

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Improving and Expanding Teacher TrainingTeacher training remains critical to the success ofthe transformational initiatives such as changes in curricula and the expansion of educational opportunities for students. There are presently over 15,000 teachers in the school system. Coupled with in-house professional training, the Ministry has been collaborating with private tertiary institutions to develop comprehensive and relevant training programmes for all teachers. Work is ongoing in this area.

Implementing Curriculum Reform Following extensive consultations

both nationally and at each of the eight (8) education districts in Trinidad and Tobago involving various stakeholders and members of the public, a comprehensive review of the primary school curricula was undertaken.

An integrated thematic primary school curriculum including nine (9) subject areas (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Agricultural Science, Visual and Performing Arts, Physical Education, Spanish and Values, Character and Citizenship Education was designed. Key areas such as literacy, numeracy, ICT infusion, assessment for learning and differentiated instruction are to be strengthened. The new curriculum will be implemented from September 2013 in Infants Year I&II and Standard I, impacting 57,000 students initially.

Testing and Neuro-Diagnostics of ChildrenThe Ministry has embarked on a pilot projectin sixteen (16) selected schools [eight (8) ECCE Centres and eight (8) Primary Schools] across the education districts in Trinidad and Tobago. It is expected that approximately three thousand (3000) students will be screened. The programme which will commence in January 2013, involves the identification, assessment and provision of intervention services for students for a period of one (1) year and

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provide the basis for further diagnosis and intervention for students.

Expanding the Caribbean Vocational Qualification Programme (CVQ) to all Secondary SchoolsTo ensure that all students acquire anoccupational skill as part of their general education, the MOE has made it mandatory for all students in secondary school to pursue at least one CVQ skill.

In September 2012, CVQ was introduced in sixty nine (69) additional schools. In addition, five hundred (500) Information, Technology and Technical Vocational Teachers were trained as part of the capacity building of staff to meet the expansion of the CVQ programme.

Improving Infrastructure in Schools The Ministry continues its efforts to provide safe and secure school buildings through the construction of new facilities, installation of pre-engineered structures and refurbishment of existing school plants. These efforts have resulted in the completion of the construction of twelve (12) new or replacement primary schools, including Tunapuna Government, Penal Rock Road SDMS and St. Barbara’s Spiritual Shouter Baptist Primary within the last two (2) years. Ten (10) schools including Enterprise Government, Paramin R.C and BarrackporeA.S.J.Aare currently under construction. Plans are underway to re-build forty-two (42) schools as a measure to replace those primary schools that are over one hundred (100) years old.

For the period under review the Ministry formally opened four (4) secondary schools: Marabella South, Aranguez North, Couva West and Five Rivers. Also, work continued on the construction of eight (8) additional secondary schools namely: Barataria North, Mt Hope, Carapichaima West, St. Joseph, St Augustine, Princes Town East, Pleasantville

and Siparia East.

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Enhancing Literacy and NumeracyA comprehensive literacy and numeracy strategyhas been developed that will seek to improve students’ competencies in these key areas. Teachers are being trained to diagnose and remediate literacy and numeracy deficiencies. Additionally, eighty (80) master teachers of Reading will be employed to support teachers at the primary level.

Improving Academic Performance There was a significant improvement in the performance of primary schools as measured by the Academic Performance Index (API) based on the National Tests. In 2012, the number of schools categorized as excelling rose to one hundred and twenty-one (121) from fifteen (15) in 2011, while schools under academic watch declined from one hundred and twenty (120) in 2011 to twenty-eight (28) in 2012.

Performance at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) continues to

be high with more than 96% of students obtaining passing grades at both Unit I and Unit II.

Moving the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) Examination to May 2012This accomplishment was indeed a historicmilestone for the Ministry and was done in collaboration with and support from key stakeholders. The main goal was to ease the stress of the SEA Examination on students and their parents by giving more time for preparation. The examination was held on the 10th May 2012 and was indeed a red letter day in the history of SEA.

Continuous Assessment Programme (CAP)During the last fiscal year, the Ministryembarked on a number of activities towards the implementation of the Continuous Assessment Component (CAC) of the SEA in academic year

dmin Report 2011-2012

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2012 – 2013. Among the activities completed was the training of one thousand, seven hundred (1,700) teachers in standards IV and V and the acquisition of extensive resources to support the implementation of CAC in various subject areas. Additionally the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) provided training for seventy- five (75) curriculum officers and supervisors to support this programme.

Standard V Students writing SEA in 2013 will write Mathematics, English and Language Arts. Both subjects combined will contribute a value of 80% of the students’ total marks while creative writing will account for 20% of the marks. The CAC is a school based assessment for primary school students.

Enhancing Career Guidance and Development in Secondary Schools Work continued on a number of initiatives that will provide the required guidance and counselling to students that will assist in their career development and transition from school into the world of work. This initiative will be implemented in 2012-2013 through district career fairs targeting students in forms III, IV, V and VI.

Organisational Restructuring and Institutional StrengtheningThe Ministry is functioning in a high paceenvironment at the national, regional and international levels. This means that the systems and processes of the ministry must be modernised and re-engineered to remain relevant especially to effectively pursue the Vision, Mission, Strategic Objective and Value Outcomes for our children. To this end, a new top organisational structure was developed and approved by the Senior Executive Team (SET). Also, individual organisational structures were significantly advanced for Divisions such as Educational Services Delivery, and Teaching and Teacher Development. In addition, the capacity of the Programmes and Projects, Planning and Management Unit (PPPMU) which serves as

the

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major manager for all programmes and projects of the MOE was further expanded.

Developing and Marketing the Ministry through a Corporate Communication StrategySteps have been taken to strengthen thecommunications arm of the Ministry through the development of a comprehensive Communication Strategy. The Strategy is designed to improve the way the Ministry shares information, and obtains feedback from its stakeholders and how such feedback can be channelled to improve the overall image and performance of the Ministry.

Developing and Managing the Human ResourcesThe effectiveness of the Ministry performancedepends not only on available resources but also on the quality and competency of its human resources. The engagement of a Consultant to lead the transformation of the management of the Ministry’s human resources is currently being pursued.

Engaging and Involving Parents and Other Key StakeholdersThe engagement of stakeholders includingparents, teachers, students and the general public is vital for the success of the education sector. The Ministry has been able to gain the public’s trust and support for its transformation initiatives through the conduct of several meetings and consultations with its many stakeholders. The positive outcomes from these activities included stakeholders support for the implementation of the CAC, and the strengthening of relationships with several of our stakeholders including the denominational boards, TTUTA, NPTA and non-governmental organisations. Work will continue in the future to maintain and sustain the relationship and trust developed.

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In the coming months the Ministry will continue to roll out its annual Business Plan for the period 2012/2013 with collaboration from its stakeholders as it seeks to build an Education system that offers hope and opportunities for our children.

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TIntroduction

he Ministry of Education’s Annual Administrative Report presents the programmes, projects, initiatives and operations undertaken in the education system for the fiscal

year 2011/2012. The achievements are the results of activities undertaken to implement the sixteen (16) priorities. The priority areas were identified in 2010 and since then the work started and has continued unabated. Much emphasis is placed on these areas since they hold the key to the transformation and re-engineering of the education system. Notwithstanding, there were key operations and functions that were executed during the last year that will be covered in this report.

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At the heart of all that is done at the Ministry are the value outcomes for our children that will contribute to the development of the ideal child. Figure 2 below; highlights the characteristics of the ideal child coming out of the Education and Development process.

Figure 2: Value Outcome for our Children

All transformational initiatives to be pursued will be aligned towards the satisfaction of these Value Outcomes (Ref: Education Sector Strategic Plan 2011 – 2015].

The Annual Administrative Report 2011-2012 is structured around the Ministry’s three goals for the Education system and the respective priorities that will support the attainment of those goals.

The goals are to:-

1. Design and Develop a Quality Education System.

2. Transform the Ministry into a Modern, High-Performing Organization.

3. Engage Stakeholders in the Transformation of the Education System

The sixteen priority areas which are highlighted and expanded upon in the chapters which follow are expected to contribute to the attainment not only of these goals, but the value outcomes for our children, and ultimately the GORTT’s main developmental pillar – “People Centred Development. “

2011-2012

CHAPTER ONE

Goal 1

Design and Develop a Quality Education System

Admin Report

A

Design and Develop a Quality Education System

quality education system will undoubtedly foster the social and economic development of the country and by

extension the harmony, respect, discipline and production needed for a cohesive society. As such the inputs and the

processes that are inextricably linked to the making of a quality education system such as qualified teachers, new or improved school infrastructure and relevant

curriculum, appropriate legislation, enabling teaching and learning environment etc are currently being addressed. These issues are being addressed

through the Ministry’s sixteen priorities. Twelve priorities are aimed at improving the quality of the teaching and

learning and directly support our goal to “Design and Develop a Quality

Education System”

Educational Priorities

1. Integrating ICTs in Education – Laptop Initiative

7. Expansion of the Technical

Vocational Programme2. Universal Early Childhood Care and Education

8. Teacher Training and Development

3. Improving Infrastructure in Schools 9. Improving Students Overall Academic Performance

4. Curriculum Reform 10. Testing and Neuro-Diagnostics of Children

5. Enhanced Literacy and Numeracy 11. Continuous Assessment Programme

6. Movement of the Secondary Entrance Assessment to May

12. Career Guidance and Development in Secondary Schools.

Box 1: Priorities for the attainment of a Quality Education System

The last fiscal year saw steady progress towards fulfilling these priorities. The gains as well as challenges are reported accordingly.

2011-2012

Admin Report

1. Integrating Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Education- eCaL Laptop Initiative

1.1 Laptop Distribution

The Ministry of Education has developed and implemented the eConnect and Learn (eCaL) Programme. The eCal programme was initiated in the year 2010. One of the major outcomes of the eCaL programme is transformation of Education in Trinidad and Tobago through the use of contemporary instructional strategies and cutting edge Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions. The goals of this Programme are to:

i) improve the learning environment for students in an ever-changing information age;

ii) improve the quality of instruction and support the infusion of ICT in teaching

and learning and the development of 21st Century Skills in students;

iii) reduce the inequity in access to computers and information between students from wealthy and poor families;

iv) raise student achievement through specific interventions such as improving students’ understanding via the use of education software; and

v) facilitate the development of collaboration between peers within schools, among schools and between teachers and students.

This Programme represents a comprehensive set of Projects, one of which is the distribution of Laptops to Students entering Secondary School.

Figure 3: Minister of Education Dr. the Honourable Tim Gopeesingh [centre] with students during the distribution of laptops

2012

Over the three (3) years of existence of this eCaL Programme approximately fifty-five thousand (55,000) students and four thousand (4,000) teachers have been provided with laptops. Included in these figures, are the seventeen thousand and fifty-eight (17,058) laptops that were distributed to Form One students in 152 secondary schools for the academic year 2012/2013 which commenced on the 3rd

September, 2012. All laptops were imaged with productivity and education software including but not limited to Microsoft Mathematics 4.0, Microsoft Chemistry Add-in for Word and Bing Maps. With the maturity and continuous improvement of this eCaL Programme students now have access to a wider array of information and learning resources for subject areas of the taught curriculum.

1.2 ICT Training for Teachers

The Laptop Initiative or the eConnect and Learn Programme was expanded to include the provision of a digital education portal, teaching training, and wireless connectivity in secondary schools, educational content software and the infusion of technology into the curriculum. In support of this eCaL Programme, teachers are being encouraged and trained to develop ICT enhanced teaching strategies. This is necessary for the integration of ICTs into the curriculum and into classroom learning and instructional strategies. Teachers are charged with the responsibility to provide quality teaching in their classrooms while making creative use of the resources to develop 21st century skills in students. This is important as we seek to prepare our nation’s students to compete in an ICT driven global economy.

Training in the infusion of Information Communication Technology (ICT) into curriculum delivery was conducted by the National Energy Skill Company (NESC) for Heads of Departments, Vice Principals, Principals, Curriculum Officers and School Supervisors III.

During the three (3) year period of existence of the eCaL Programme, approximately eight thousand, four hundred (8,400) teachers were trained in a series of courses aimed at equipping staff with the necessary skills to infuse ICTs into their teaching and learning strategies. The first eCAL ICT in Education Innovative Award which rewards excellence in ICT integration in teaching and learning in schools was held in 2011. Four teachers attended the Caribbean and Latin America Forum in Santiago de Chile. One teacher from Trinidad and Tobago emerged winner and later participated at the Global Forum, Washington in November, 2011.

1.3 Assessment of the eCal Programme

In addition to the distribution of Laptops to students entering Form One, the eCal programme also comprised numerous other projects all geared toward achieving integration of ICTs into the curriculum and educational transformation. These other project initiatives included:

1. Laptop Rollout;

2. Expansion of Secondary Schools’ Connectivity;

3. Digital Portal;

4. Digital Resources and Content;

5. Policy and Guidelines;

6. Marketing and Communications;

7. Monitoring and Evaluation;

8. Teacher Training; and9. Infusion of ICT into Curriculum

Delivery.

To ascertain the benefits derived from this Programme as well as the areas for improvement, the Educational Research and Evaluation Division undertook an assessment of same in the year 2011.

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Admin Report

The Survey was undertaken to determine the following:

1. ICT competence levels of key stakeholders, namely principals, teachers, students, parents;

2. The extent of use and access to technology;

3. Stakeholders knowledge and understanding of the Ministry’s ICT policies/guidelines; and

4. Stakeholders level of support for the eCAL programme.

Along with the assessment, there was a Monitoring and Evaluation component which aximize an outcome-based framework for evaluation of the Programme. The outcomes of each Project stream were identified and used to develop questionnaires which were in turn re-administered to track changes, if any, in use and access of ICTs. It also looked at behavioural changes towards the use of ICT among stakeholders. The expected outcomes identified in each Project stream were adapted for the purpose of administering the Initial Survey and further modified to determine the impact, if any, on key stakeholders.

The survey’s targeted population is delineated below:

1. The Principals of sixty-seven (67) secondary schools;

2. Students of two (2) randomly selected classes from each of the sixty-seven(67) secondary schools;

3. Parents of these selected students; and

4. Form 1 teachers in the eight (8) core subjects (English Language, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Physical Education, Social Studies, Spanish, Technology Education, Visual & Performing Arts).

Of this target population, data were received from the following for analysis:

1. Fifty-eight (58) Principals;

2. Seven hundred and twenty-nine (729) teachers;

3. Three thousand, two hundred and ninety-six (3,296) students; and

4. Two thousand, two hundred and seventeen (2,217) parents.

The data from each of the surveys were analysed to determine the impact, if any, of the eCal Programme on stakeholders within the home and school environments. Moreover the data was examined to ascertain whether there is an increase or decrease in:

• Stakeholders’ use of and access to digital resources and content, that is, whether there is an increase/decrease in the percentage of teachers, students and parents using and accessing relevant digital content, through use of the laptops;

• An increase/decrease in the level of awareness of digital technologies among stakeholders;

• Enhancement in the level of ICT skills among teachers in their teaching methods, and students in their learning within the classroom;

• Theextentofactivestudentparticipation and students’ performance in the classroom;

• Teachers’ ability to infuse or integrate ICT in their classroom teaching;

• The level of adherence to policy compliance by teachers, parents and learners with implementation of the eCal Programme within the nation’s schools; and

• The level of parental involvement in the children’s education.

The findings from the survey indicated the following:

1. That teachers already possess the basic computer literacy skills; and

2. Most teachers still use the whole group and textbook methods of classroom instruction.

Based on these findings, the following recommendations were made:

1. Training should be completed in the following areas:

1.1 use of a variety of strategies for infusing/integrating ICT technology into the curriculum;

1.2 for developing subject-related ICT resources;

1.3 for providing teachers with skills related to classroom teaching, and methods of using the computers/ laptops/Internet to infuse or integrate ICT into every subject teaching unit;

1.4 in the use of the Internet to engage individual and small groups of students in order to aximize student participation/ involvement;

1.5 how to teach students to apply strategies for solving problems using the laptops, and how to use appropriate tools for learning, collaborating, and communicating using ICT;

1.6 use of Blogs and Wikis so teachers can encourage active participation among students during lesson presentations;

2. Class sizes should be kept at levels that allow teachers to give learners individual and/or small group attention for full and effective learning;

3. There should be greater communication between home and school (relevant to student performance) using e-mail;

4. More emphasis should be placed on using the laptops for remedial learning and tracking of student performance levels; and

5. There should be further expansion of the infrastructure in terms of greater accessibility to Internet within the

classroom. (Reference e-Connect and Learn Report Summary July 2011- Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago).

The insights obtained from this assessment could be used as guidelines for the overall improvement and enhancement of the programme.

1.4 The major accomplishments for the laptop initiative are as follows:

Fiscal 2010/2011

Nineteen thousand, six hundred and sixty-seven (19,667) laptops were distributed to sixteen thousand and fifty-nine (16,059) Form 1 students in Trinidad; six hundred and eight (608) Form 1 students in Tobago and three thousand (3000) teachers in Trinidad and Tobago.

Fiscal 2011/2012 Seventeen thousand, three hundred (17,300)

laptops were distributed to Form 1 students for the academic year 2011/2012. The students received Lenovo laptops with carrying cases and fourteen (14) software packages provided by Microsoft as opposed to only seven (7) packages in 2010. These software packages include Office 2010 Professional, the visualization of Mathematics from basic to pre-calculus and the laws of Trinidad and Tobago. Also the laptops were equipped with improved security and monitoring features.

This represented a total of thirty-six thousand, nine hundred and sixty-seven (36,967) laptops distributed over the two year period

The Government was able to reduce its expenditure on laptops in 2011/2012 as each laptop purchased cost approximately US$460; US$100 less than fiscal year 2010/2011. The total expenditure by Government to provide every child going on to secondary school from the SEA with his or her own laptop in 2011/2012 was an estimated $53 million which was about $30 million less than fiscal year in 2010/2011.

A total of four hundred and sixty seven (467) laptops were distributed to primary

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Admin Report

school principals in December 2011. The laptops are equipped with packages on instructional materials and other digital information.

• Trained eight thousand, four hundred (8,400) teachers in ICT related courses;

• Collaborated with Microsoft to host the eCal ICT in Education Innovative Award competition to recognise the efforts of teachers in infusing ICT into the curriculum;

• Trained thirty-five (35) Curriculum Officers, with the support of the Distance Education Unit, to support the integration of ICTs in curriculum delivery;

• Developed ICT integrated instructional packages for Forms 1-3 students in seven (7) subject areas;

• Over thirteen thousand (13,000) Form I students registered with NALIS to access e-resources on the NALIS website, as part of the eCal programme; and

• Conducted a post evaluation exercise of the eCal programme.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015:

Continue and expand the eCAL

Programme throughout the entire

secondary school system to include

Form 5

Conduct an on-going review of the eCAL

Programme to assess the level of success

in relation to the Programme’s goals and

objectives

Research and procure suitable eLearning

Software to aid the development of ICT in

the education system

Incorporate ICT into all schools to aid in

developing various areas such as teaching/

learning tools and software to positively

impact students

Provide hardware and software to support a

web-based School Based Management

System (SBMS) that will capture data on

students, teachers and schools to inform

policy making

Procure hardware and peripheral equipment

for the outfitting of the Ministry's offices

Provide internet services which include full

connectivity for Schools and Corporate

Offices (Wi-Fi for locations where

hardwiring is too costly or not possible)

Promote Cyber safety measures in schools

through ICT training of HoDs to facilitate/

support safe student ICT research activities

2. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

2.1 Construction of Centres

The Ministry of Education has been working assiduously to achieve the Prime Minister’s mandate to attain universal Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) by 2015. While it seems to be a herculean undertaking, one of the immediate approaches adopted by the Ministry to create “school space” for students makes it an achievable target. The approach is namely: the traditional construction of ECCE Centres;public/private partnerships with private ECCE providers and the conversion of spaces at underutilized primary schools into ECCE rooms.

With respect to the construction of new Centres, over the past two years the Ministry

Figure 4: Participants at ECCE Consultation

has completed the construction of twenty-nine(29) ECCE Centres.These are:St. Augustine North, Roystonia, Maraval, Oropune, La Goya, Valencia, Bon Air West [Arouca], Malabar, La Horquetta South, Clarke Rochard , Coconut Drive, Edinburgh South, Harmony Hall, Retrench, Maraj Hill, Raghunanan Road, Egypt Village Trace, Carlsen Field, Golconda, Wellington Road, St. Mary’s, Union Hall, Phoenix Park, Lisas Gardens, Milton, Aranguez, Lower Cumuto, Cushe.

As part of the IDB funded Support for a Seamless Education Project fifty(50) Centres are expected to be constructed by August 2013. With respect to the twenty- four (24) Centres in Phase I, construction has commenced on the nineteen (19) sites identified in Table I below, while staff are working tirelessly to resolve the site related issues for the remaining five sites. It is expected that construction will commence on at least two of these by the end of December 2012.

Sites have been identified for the construction of an additional twenty-six (26) IDB/GORTT funded ECCE Centres, including five (5) centres earmarked for construction in Tobago

Status of the Phase II - twenty six (26) IADB ECCE centres is as follows:

Twenty-six (26) sites have been deemed unencumbered and can proceed for mobilization and construction works. These sites have been forwarded to the EFCL for the commencement of the Design/construction phase. Construction of the Phase II ECCE centres is scheduled for completion in June 2014

Five (5) of these sites are located in Tobago.

In the financial year 2012 the Ministry of Eeducation commissioned and opened thirteen (13) fully functional state-of-the-art ECCE Centres.

Admin Report

Table 1: Location of Nineteen (19) Early Childhood Care and Education Sites

No. ECCE CENTRE EDUCATION DISTRICT

1 Arima New Government ECCE St. George East

2 Arouca Pine Haven S.D.A. St. George East

3 Bamboo ECCE St. George East

4 Maloney Gardens II St. George East

5 Barataria A.C. ECCE St. George West

6 Buen Intento ECCE Victoria

7 Corinth Hill ECCE Victoria

8 Cunupia A.C ECCE Caroni

9 Jacob Hill ECCE St. George East

10 Madras ECCE Caroni

11 Palmiste ECCE Caroni

12 Quarry ECCE St. Patrick

13 Salazar Trace ECCE St. George East

14 Malabar ECCE St. George East

15 Mount Hope ECCE St. George East

16 Southern Gardens St. Patrick

17 La Ruffin ECCE Nariva/Mayaro

18 Brothers ECCE Victoria

19 Pleasantville ECCE Victoria

2011-2012

2.2 Public/Private Partnership Agreements

In an effort to meet the demand for places at ECCE Centres, the Ministry is at the exploratory stage of its proposal to partner with private ECCE providers. To this end, a series of public consultations were held during the last fiscal year to gather information from stakeholders. The consultations aimed at engaging private Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) providers to partner with the Ministry to achieve Universal Education (ECCE) by 2015. The consultations were scheduled as follows:-• Group 1 – ECCE Centres in the following Education Districts: Port of Spain and Environs, St. George East and North Eastern• Group 2 - ECCE Centres in the following Education Districts: Caroni, South Eastern, Victoria and St. Patrick• Group 3 - ECCE Centres in Tobago• Status of the Phase I - twenty four (24) IADB ECCE centres is as follows:o Eighteen (18) ECCE Centres are projected for completion, by August 2013, under the GORTT-IDB Seamless Education System Programme: Arouca Pine Haven SDA, Barataria AC, Corinth Hills, Cunupia- St. Ambrose AC, Madras, Malabar, Mount Hope, Buen Intento, Salazar Trace, Jacob Hill, Palmiste, Bamboo, Arima New, Southern Gardens, Pleasantville, Brothers, La Ruffin, Maloney Gardens No.2 and Quarry Village.o Six (6) additional ECCE Centres are projected for completion, by December 2013, under the GORTT-IDB Seamless Education System Programme: St. Ann’s, La Ruffin, Enterprise, Mendez/Penal Quinam, Rancho Quemado and Fyzabad

As a consequence of those consultations the Ministry is at the stage of finalising different private/public partnership models. Some of the key considerations in selecting the final model will be the financial cost, the readiness of private providers in meeting the ECCE standards of the Ministry regarding curriculum and school buildings and the sustainability of the project.

2.3 Conversion of Spaces at underutilized Primary Schools for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

The Ministry is currently exploring the feasibility of using the spaces at underutilized primary schools for the purpose of early childhood education. It was envisioned that this approach would maximize the use of underutilized spaces, cut the cost of construction of new Centres and provide feeder Centres for transition to existing primary schools.

An initial physical assessment of approximately forty-five primary schools was undertaken by Educational Facilities Company Limited for the project. As a result of a second assessment done by representatives of the MOE, thirteen(13) government primary schools qualified for consideration since they had available land space. The thirteen (13) government primary schoolsare:ChaguanasNorth,Chatam,Cocoyea, D’Abadie, Beetham Gardens, Enterprise, Egypt Village, Hardbargain, Marabella, Nariva/ Manzanilla, Preysal, Penal Quinam and Rancho Quemado. Disqualification of the remaining thirty-two (32) sites was due to the challenges and constraints that emerged namely:

• Additional space is required to facilitate the introduction of the Continuous Assessment Component (CAC) of SEA, therefore those spaces that were earlier identified are no longer available to accommodate ECCE activities

• In spite of available land space, the topography of the land in some cases cannot support the construction of centres

• The available land space in some instances is too small to accommodate the construction of centres

• Continued dialogue is needed with the Denominational Boards to ensure access to land in possession of the Boards.

Admin Report

2.4 Training for ECCE Teachers

From August 2011, the Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Science Technology and Tertiary Education, The Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago and Six tertiary level institutions namely: UTT, UWI, CREDI, USC, ROYTEC and SERVOL, commenced discussions to harmonize the training of ECCE teachers at the Certificate Level. As at March 2012, the Ministry concluded these discussions and has ensured the alignment of the Curriculum for ECCE Teacher Training and Certification at the tertiary level. These standards are comparable to those established by the Organization of American States and CARICOM.

The Ministry of Education has also commenced discussions to harmonize training at the Bachelor of Education level for all primary school teachers.

In August 2012, approximately two hundred and fifty (250) teaching staff (teachers, teacher assistants, auxiliaries and Administrators) employed at government and government-assisted centres attended professional development sessions at the Rudranath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre in Mc Bean, Couva

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013-2015

Complete the construction of fifty (50) ECCE Centres under the IDB/ GORTT funded Support for a Seamless Education Project

Commence the roll-out of the plan to convert excess space in under-utilized primary schools for use as ECCE centres

Establish and manage an effectively functioning Public Private Partnership System (engage in 200 Public Private Partnerships)

Complete and sign the contractual agreements for public private partnership with sixty-eight (68) private ECCE providers by 2013-2014

Engage ECCE practitioners towards the creation of an education research database, through which research papers, knowledge and research interests would facilitate a sustained forum for dialogue and exchange

Recruit (advertise, short list and interview) teaching and non-teaching personnel for ECCE centres

Complete the construction of twenty-four (24) ECCE Centres under the GORTT-IDB Seamless Education System Programme Phase 1

Complete IDB Phase 2, construction of twenty-six (26) ECCE centres of which five (5) of these sites are located in Tobago

3. Improving Infrastructure in Schools

3.1 Primary Schools

One of the major challenges facing primary schools is the dilapidated condition of a number of primary school buildings which are well over 100 years old. The Ministry continues to address these challenges primarily through the construction of new schools and upgrades to existing buildings. In the past two (2) years the Ministry of Education completed the construction of twelve (12) primary schools as follows:-

1. St. Barbara’s Spiritual Shouter Baptist Primary School (Figure 5)

2. Tunapuna Government

3. Balmain Presbyterian

4. Charlieville Presbyterian

5. Riversdale Presbyterian

6. Biche Presbyterian

7. Penal Rock Road SDMS,

8. Lengua Government

9. Palo Seco Government

10. Arima New Government

11. Mt. Pleasant Government

12. Tulsa Trace Hindu

Another ten (10) schools are currently under construction:-

1. Enterprise Government

2. Monkey Town Government

3. Fanny Village Government

4. Febeau Government

5. Rosehill R.C.

6. Eccles Village Government

7. New Grant Government

8. Paramin R.C.

9. Belmont Boys’ R.C.

10. Barrackpore A.S.J.A.

Further, the Ministry in its 2012-2014 construction programme has scheduled the construction of forty-two (42) replacement primary schools. Notably, construction has already commenced on seven (7) of these primary schools.

1

2011-2012

Admin Report

2 6

3 7

4 8

5 1 2

3 4

St. Babara’s Spiritual Shouter Baptist Balmain Presbyterian

5 6 Charlieville Presbyterian

7 8 Riversdale Presbyterian

2012

Figure 5:St. Barbara’s Spiritual Shouter Baptist Primary School

9 11

1012

9 10

11 12

13

Biche Presbyterian

Lengua Presbyterian

Arima New

Government

13

Admin Report 2011-

2012

3.2 Secondary Schools

Over the past two years the Ministry of Education has completed the construction of four (4) secondary schools namely:

(1) Marabella South Secondary, 2) Aranguez North Secondary (Figures 7); 3) Couva West Government Secondary and 4) Five Rivers Secondary.

2During the last year work continued on thefollowing (8) eight secondary schools which are at various stages of construction: Barataria North, Mt. Hope, Carapichaima West, St. Joseph, St. Augustine, Princes Town East, Pleasantville and Siparia East.

3

3

4

1 2 Marabella South Secondary

1

3 4 Aranguez North Secondary

Admin Report 2011-2012

3.3 School Repairs Programme

The Ministry has implemented a comprehensive school repair programme for the repair and maintenance of all schools. Every effort is made to schedule these repairs during the August school vacation period in order to avoid disruption of classes. Over the last two years the Ministry of Education has repaired approximately three hundred and fifty (350) primary and secondary schools. Seventy- seven (77) primary and secondary schools were repaired during the July-August 2012 vacation period.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015: Construction will commence on Shiva

Boys’ Hindu and Parvati Girls’ Hindu Colleges

Additional blocks will be constructed for:

o Vishnu Boys SDMS Hindu

Schoolo Charlieville ASJA Boys’

o Charlieveille ASJA Girls’

o Sangre Grande SWAHA Hindu

Collegeo Complete or advanced

construction at eight (8) secondary schools currently under construction

Complete construction of forty-two (42) replacement primary schools

Complete construction of additional blocks to schools already selected

Complete construction of Libraries and District Offices (these include the construction/completion of fifteen (15) public libraries)

4. Curriculum Reform

Another major initiative is the reform of the primary school curriculum. This new curriculum will serve as the blueprint for the development of the ideal child/citizen we want to produce. Curriculum Writing will commence in October 2012. Initially seven

(7) subject areas were carded for review; however two more subject areas were added, namely, Agricultural Science and Character Education. The hiring of local curriculum writers for the various subject areas is expected to be effected early in the next fiscal year.

The Ministry of Education held several consultations in order to obtain input from all relevant persons in its Curriculum review exercise.

A two (2) day National Consultation on the Primary Schools’ Curriculum was held in April, 2011. Approximately seven hundred (700) persons participated in this consultation.

Eight (8) District Consultations; seven in Trinidad and one in Tobago on the Primary School Curriculum were held. Approximately two thousand and ninety (2,090) students, parents, teachers, administrators and Ministry personnel were in attendance.

Two (2) subject-specific stakeholder consultations were held on the inclusion of non-traditional subject areas such as the Visual and Performing Arts and Physical Education at the primary level up to Standard Five. Seventy (70) persons, including fifteen (15) contributors, participated and shared their views on the importance of both subjects to holistic child development.

In addition, all relevant documents of the Primary Schools’ Curriculum were posted on the Ministry’s website to elicit the widest communication and feedback possible.

A Consultant was hired to commence the revision of the primary schools’ curriculum in nine (9) subject areas. The contract commenced in June 2012 and will continue to August 2013. The subject areas for review and revision have been expanded to include Agricultural Science and Character Education.

All required resources were provided to primary schools to support the delivery of the

Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) component of the curriculum.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013-2015

Procurement of the required equipment for the writing teams and the schools in which curriculum will be tested

Creation of a website for the hosting of curriculum materials

Recruitment of a firm to print the new curriculum guides and materials

Implementation of the new primary school

curriculum by September 2013. Complete

the review/rewrite of the Secondary

School’s Curriculum which addresses the

need for the ideal child/citizen

Implement the new secondary school

curriculum nationally throughout all

Forms

Provide for curriculum development

workshops for all CSEC & CAPE

Technical/ Vocational subjects

Infuse ICT into the primary and secondary

schools curricula (include the core subject

areas and other subjects areas developed in

the reformed curricula)

5. Enhanced Literacy and Numeracy

A solid foundation in literacy and numeracy opens up a whole new world to students to take advantage of the full range of curricula choices in school and beyond. Cognisant of this importance, the Ministry has given its commitment to improve our students reading, mathematics and writing skills. An analysis of student performance in English/Language Arts and Mathematics at

the national and regional examinations shows that student performance in these two subjects is below average. In order to improve students’ literacy and numeracy skills a literacy and numeracy plan was developed for implementation in schools. This literacy strategy will monitor those students at risk of falling behind and will provide targeted interventions. Elements of the Plan include:

• The conduct of a pilot project in selected schools

• Collection and analysis of data

• Training of numeracy coaches

• Literacy teams to be formed and teachers to work in their respective schools.

The Project Plan for improving literacy and numeracy levels in students enrolled in Infants Department to Standard I was approved by the Strategic Executive Team of the Ministry of Education.

Twenty (20) pilot schools throughout the eight (8) education districts were selected for the conduct of a pilot programme towards the preparation of a detailed training plan.

In 2010/2011 under the Centre of Excellence for Teacher Training, the project designed to improve the reading skills of students in primary schools; reading workshops were held for three hundred (300) teachers and one hundred (100) principals.

All Primary School Principals have been requested to assign their best teachers to Infants Year I and II and Standard I to ensure that there is effective foundational development for our students from an early age

A decrease was recorded in the percentage of students scoring 30% and under in the SEA by 0.8 points, i.e. from 9.9% (2011) to 9.1% (2012)

A Literacy and Numeracy Plan focusing on raising the level of achievement of students from the Infants to Standard 1 levels was developed. Elements of the Plan include:

The conduct of a pilot project in select schools Collection and analysis of data Training of numeracy coaches The formation of literacy teams with teachers

working in their respective schools.Forty (40) Literacy and forty (40) Numeracy Coaches were trained. The Literacy Coaches included graduates of the M.Ed. Reading Programme.

Sixty-two (62) young persons graduated with improved reading skills from the NALIS Youth Literacy Programme – ALTA,

The National Young Adult Quiz Competition 2012 was held. Nineteen (19) schools participated in this initiative which was aimed at promoting positive reading habits among the youths of the nation.

To date, eighty (80) master teachers of reading have been trained and will be employed to support teachers. Further, teachers ate being trained to diagnose and remediate deficiencies in literacy and numeracy.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015:

Train 2,300 persons (teachers and other stakeholders)

Reduce the extent of under achievement at the Primary level by addressing literacy and numeracy challenges in teaching and learning at the Primary level. (80 literacy and 40 numeracy coaches have been identified and trained and are operating within the primary school system).

6. Movement of Secondary Entrance Assessment from March to May

The Ministry placed a priority on the movement of the SEA from March to May with the aim of improving the overall performance of students at the SEA exit examinations. This is premised on the need to provide additional time to the students to help them to be better prepared for the examination. Through successful negotiations with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and other stakeholders, all systems were put in place to facilitate the movement of the examination. As a result of these efforts, the SEA was held on May 10th, 2012

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015:

Increase the number of student scoring above 30%.

7. Expansion of the Technical/ Vocational Programme

Through the expansion of the Technical/ Vocational Programme in schools, the Ministry of Education expects to see an increase in the number of students pursuing subjects in the Technical/Vocational area. By extension there should be an increase in the number of students requesting certification for the achievement of full Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) Standards and an increase in the variety of Standards on offer to students at the secondary school level. This is noted in the Ministry of Education’s Strategic Plan 2011 – 2015, which identifies that children at secondary schools should be exposed to a more varied curriculum including the exposure to skills-based subjects.

The Caribbean Vocational Qualification is an award that represents achievement of a set of competencies which define the core work practices of an occupational area consistent with the levels articulated within the regional frameworks. The student who achieves a full standard award at Level I is described as a semi- skilled worker who is able to perform a significant range of varied work activities in a

limited variety of contexts. Since the introduction of the CVQ programme in 2008, there has been a steady increase in the number of schools and

students exposed to related skills-based subjects. The MOE has moved beyond and has since made it mandatory that all students will undertake at least one CVQ skill. The implementation of this initiative should ensure that all students acquire a specific occupational skill as part of their general education.

The CVQ Programme has been faced with several challenges. CVQ by its very nature necessitates a constant in-flow of attention and inputs in order for it to thrive. However, the long term benefits that are to be derived far outweigh any difficulty that may be experienced in the initial stages. There are some minimum factors that are crucial to the success of a program of this nature which have affected the program to date. These factors are:

• The acceptability and market value of CVQ Certification;

• Stakeholders “buy-in” and acceptance of the programme namely:- parents; TTUTA; school administrators; teachers; students; tertiary level educational institutions; other organizations and the community;

• Adequate qualified teachers to impart specialized skills;

• Adequate Support Officers most notably Curriculum Officers to assist with the monitoring of the program;

• Ability to utilize the attained certification for matriculation purposes at tertiary level education institutions;

• Certification used as a criterion for employment by government ministries and statutory bodies

MOE support in terms of finance and other support;

• Presentation of CVQ results proves difficult for principals to interpret.

• Supportive administrators with a technical/vocational understanding or knowledge;

• Upgrading of physical infrastructure to accommodate skill-based subjects;

• Health and Safety awareness and practices in the whole school;

• Updating of pertinent/ relevant data on a timely basis on all schools:;

• Inability to access CVQ results in a timely manner both by students and TVET Unit, CPDD, MoE;

• The CVQ programme requires timely and regular funding.

In spite of these challenges, the following were achieved:-

In 2010, one thousand, seven hundred and eighteen (1,718) students wrote the CVQs while in 2011, forty-four (44) secondary schools involving 1,400 students participated in the CVQ standards/units in twenty-three (23) occupational areas including: Air conditioning and refrigeration, Auto-mechanics, Beauty therapy, Information technology usage and support, Food preparation and Poultry rearing.

By the end of 2011-2012 academic year forty six (46) schools were registered to do CVQ exams. Out of this number, forty four (44) actually offered candidates for the exams.

One thousand and eighty three (1083) candidates wrote the CVQ exams in twenty-five (25) occupational areas. A total of four thousand, four hundred and ninety-seven (4,497) units were awarded. Five hundred and eighty three (583) persons obtained full units. At present, the MOE is collaborating with MIC for training of teachers in the specialized craft areas.

The MOE is also working with MIC and will collaborate with UTT towards having a Bachelor’s programme developed combining the pedagogy and specialized craft components.

In June 2012, eighty four (84) government schools were given funding in the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for CVQ programmes. The Curriculum Division has the mandate to ensure these funds are utilized for the CVQ Programme.

In fiscal 2011 to 2012 the MOE developed a partnership with the National Training Agency (NTA) for the training of TVET teachers at secondary schools to become Assessors and Heads of Departments as Internal Verifiers. By the end of July 2012, fifty (50) persons had been trained as Internal Verifiers and one hundred and thirty-one (131) teachers as Assessors.

Government and Government Assisted schools were each given a grant of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for CVQ expansion.

Five hundred (500) Information Technology and Technical Vocational Teachers were trained.

2011 CXC results indicated that five hundred and twenty-four (524) students received full CVQ awards and nine thousand and four hundred (9,400) received Unit Awards in various subject areas.

Sixty-five (65) secondary schools currently offer CVQ subjects; forty-eight(48) government schools; seventeen (17) denominational

schools. Sixty nine (69) will be offering CVQ subjects from September 2012.

• Of the sixty-five (65), nine (9) government and sixteen (16) government -ass i s ted a re in te res ted in expanding the i r CVQ programme.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015:

1. Execution of change management strategy regarding stakeholders’ perception of the Technical/Vocational Programme.

2. Recruitment of qualified instructors.

3. Assessment of facilities – Audits of facilities are scheduled for the period September to December 2012 for all secondary schools that will be expanding their CVQ options.

4. A special committee will be formed to come up with a comprehensive proposal including financial resourcing for CVQ expansion beyond September, 2012.

5. Roll Out of a monitoring and evaluation framework for the CVQ programme. In this regard, the Ministry plans to hire more curriculum officers with specialization in various fields to monitor the expanded programme

6. Lay the foundations foundation for the registration ofapproximately twenty-three (23) additional schools by 2014, thus increasing the number of schools offering CVQs from sixty-nine (69) in 2012 to ninety-one (91) by 2014

7. Increase the number of students enrolled in the CVQ programme from one thousand, five hundred and sixty (1,560) to over three thousand (3000)

8. Lay the groundwork for an increase in the number of occupational areas from twenty-six (26) to thirty-one (31).

9. Develop and implement a policy to support the implementation of CVQ in all secondary schools, including denominational schools

10. Incorporate CVQ programmes throughout the entire secondary school system

11. Provide assessor training and retraining of teachers for the technical and vocational programme assessment process

12. Develop a training program and train support officers, most notably Curriculum Officers, to assist with the monitoring of the CVQ program

8. Teaching and Teacher Development

Teachers are pivotal to a quality education system. They however, need to be motivated, highly qualified and knowledgeable to make a difference in the lives of students. In seeking to ensure that teachers are adequately qualified the MOE embarked on an initiative to revamp the teaching sector. To facilitate this exercise the MOE proposed to establish the Teaching and Teacher Development Division (TTDD) which replaces the former Teacher Education & Teacher Performance Project Unit (TETPPU).

The mandate of the TTDD is to produce and advance teachers who are competent and adequately equipped to:

1. efficiently and effectively implement school curriculum;

2. improve student performance;

3. help students to achieve the values outcomes consistent with the national vision for our children

A new organizational structure has been designed. Efforts toward the establishment of the Division will be pursued in fiscal 2013.

In April 2012, a contract for the conduct of a Baseline Survey of Teacher Performance, Parent and Student Attitudes and Achievements commenced and will conclude in March 2013. This consultancy is expected to facilitate the evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention strategies that were designed to enhance the quality of teaching. Through this consultancy the MOE will be assisted in the development of profiles for teacher performance, parent and student attitude and student achievement.

With respect to the Baseline Survey, the following activities were completed

• Orientation sessions were held for all Principals of the 60 samples schools

• Training sessions were held for Principals and Vice Principals in the use of the ipad to conduct the Teacher Monitoring Protocol (TMP) Survey in Trinidad

• Survey instruments were distributed to and collected from the 60 sample schools.

In keeping with its effort to develop a critical mass of leaders to guide the transformation initiatives, the Ministry held a leadership conference for school principals and administrators. The theme of which was ‘The Leader in Me”. The objective was to enhance the skills of key personnel entrusted with the responsibility of facilitating and supporting the transformation initiative. Figure 9 is a group photograph of the MOE Strategic Executive Team (SET) and conference presenters.

Figure 6: Ministry’s Executive Team with Presenters at ‘The Leader in Me’ Conference

Some of the other major activities accomplished in fiscal 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 are as follows:

• Fifteen curriculum officers and teachers of language arts received voice and speech training in August, 2012

• Conducted professional development training for thirty-five (35) Curriculum Officers to support teachers in the delivery of the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) curriculum

• Trained one hundred and fifty (150) Secondary School Technology Education and CVQ teachers through workshops conducted by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs in its Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme

• Completed discussions with TTUTA with respect to a Performance Management Appraisal Process Manual

• ICT Infusion Training was conducted for approximately six hundred and sixty-two (662) Administrators and Supervisors.

Forty-eight (48) principals Sixty-four (64) vice-principals Thirty-two (32) School

Supervisors Five hundred and nine (509) IT

Heads of Department and teachers Three (3) TETPPU staff members

The Fourth Annual Professional Development Teacher Training Workshop was conducted. Approximately four hundred and twenty (420) teachers were trained in fifteen (15) different areas.

Eighty (80) Primary School and eighty (80) Secondary School teachers were trained in order to improve their skills in the assessment of the national curriculum in all eight (8) core subjects

The reclassification process for the teaching staff at the secondary level commenced. This is an integral part of the Government’s thrust to modernize the education system and improve the overall standard of teaching at the nation’s schools.

9. Improving Students Overall Academic Performance

The main indicators used to measure students’ academic performance are the results of the local and regional examinations administered to students at the primary and secondary levels. During the last academic year students at the primary level from Standards I to I wrote the National Tests while the students of Standard V wrote the Secondary Entrance Assessment for transition to the secondary level. Students at the secondary level wrote the NCSE, the CSEC and CAPE Examinations and the CVQ. In general, while improvements in students’ performance in some of the examinations have been achieved, there is still room for further improvementparticularly in CSEC Mathematics and English. The performance of students at various levels and in the various examinations is presented hereunder:-

Admin Report

9.1 National Test - Performance of Students in Mathematics and Language Arts

In 2012, eighteen thousand five hundred and forty-two (18,542) students in Standard 1 and nineteen thousand nine hundred and forty- eight (19,948) students in Standard 3 wrote the National Test in Mathematics and Language Arts. There has been an overall increase in the percentage of students attaining or exceeding standards (Levels 3 and 4) required for standards 1 and 3 in Mathematics and Language Arts in 2012 when compared to the combined period 2008 to 2012. In Mathematics there was about 40% improvement in Standards 1 and 3, while literacy levels improved by about 50% in Standards 1 and 3. The findings are as follows:

Mathematics

Standard 1

• In 2012, 68% of the students writing Mathematics in Standard 1 met or exceeded the acceptable standards (levels 3 and 4) compared to 51% in 2011.

• In 2012, there was corresponding reduction in students not meeting the acceptable standards.

Standard 3

• 65% of students writing Mathematics in Standard 3 met or exceeded the acceptable standards (levels 3 and 4) in 2012 compared to 48% in 2011.

• In 2012, there was also a significant reduction in students not meeting the acceptable standards.

Language Arts

Standard 1

• 55% of students in Standard 1 writing Language Arts met or exceeded the acceptable standards (Levels 3 and 4) in 2012 compared to 38% in 2011.

• In 2012, there was also a significant reduction in students not meeting the acceptable standards in Language Arts.

Standard 3

• 67% of students in Standard 3 writing Language Arts met or exceeded the acceptable standards (Levels 3 and 4) in 2012 compared to 42% in 2011.

• In 2012, there was also a significant reduction in students not meeting the acceptable standard.

• In 2012, 68% of the students writing Mathematics in Standard 1 met or exceeded the acceptable standards (levels 3 and 4) compared to 51% in 2011.

• In 2012, there was corresponding reduction in students not meeting the acceptable standards.

Standard 3

• 65% of students writing Mathematics in Standard 3 met or exceeded the acceptable standards (levels 3 and 4) in 2012 compared to 48% in 2011.

2011-2012

Admin Report

9.2 Performance of Primary Schools at the National Tests – Academic Performance Index (API)

There has been a significant improvement in performance of schools in 2012 compared to the period 2009 to 2012 as measured by their Academic Performance Index. A school’s score or placement on the API is designed to be an indicator of a school’s performance level and is calculated annually using the percentage of students at each achievement level for Mathematics and Language Arts at Standards 1 and 3. Literacy and numeracy are important areas for overall school effectiveness and future academic achievement. The composite score which varies from 0 to 560 is used to place schools in four categories:-

• EXCELLING (401-560) – Extremely high proportions of students meeting or exceeding standards in both classes and areas of learning.

• MOSTLY EFFECTIVE (241-400) – Adequateto high proportions of students meeting or exceeding standards in both classes and areas of learning.

the number of schools not meeting the required standard and categorized as being under academic watch over the period 2011 – 2012:- A summary of this information is provided below

• The number of schools placed under Academic Watch decreased from one hundred and twenty (120) in 2011 to twenty-eight (28) in 2012.

• There was an increase in the number of schools in the excelling band from fifteen (15) in 2011 to one hundred and twenty-one (121) in 2012.

• No schools fell into the Academic Emergency category.

• The results therefore showed a significant improvement in the performance of primary schools in 2012 with a large shift in the number of schools under Academic watch moving into the Most Effective category and schools in the mostly effective category moving into the excelling band.

• ACADEMIC WATCH (81-240) –Inadequate numbers of studentsmeeting or exceeding standards in oneor more classes or areas of learning. Requires immediate attention to specific challenges faced by school.

• ACADEMIC EMERGENCY (0–80)Inadequate numbers of students meeting or exceeding in both classes and areas of learning. Requires urgent and immediate intervention. There has been an improvement in the schools based on the academic performance index during the period 2009 – 2012.

In 2012, there was a significant increase in the number of schools that were placed under the Excelling band of the API Category. Correspondingly, there has been a decline in

Admin Report

2011-2012

Admin Report

API Category 2011 2012

No. of Schools

% No of Schools

%

Academic Watch 120 22.3 28 5.2

Mostly Effective 394 73.2 384 71.4

Excelling 15 2.8 121 22.5

Total 529 98.3 533 99.1

• Schools excelling improved by 800% from 2011 to 2012.• Reduction of schools under academic watch by about 80%.

9.3 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA)

The Secondary Entrance Assessment was administered for the first time on the 10th

May, 2012. This was done to provide students and teachers with additional time to prepare for the examination and ultimately result in the overall improvement of students’ performance. A total of seventeen thousand, eight hundred and sixty-three (17,863) students were tested on their skills in Mathematics, Language Arts and Creative Writing for placement into a secondary school based on the individual scores achieved.

Table 2 highlights the number of students who wrote the examination and were placed at secondary schools over the period 2008-2012. The trends over the five year period indicate that the number of students writing the SEA averaged over seventeen thousand (17,000) and approximately 94% of the students were placed at the five and seven-year government and government assisted secondary schools. From 2008 to 2012 there was a small increase in the percentage of students placed at secondary schools. The table also shows that there has been a steady decline in the number of students placed at Pre-Vocational Centres.

Table 2: Number and Percentage of Students Placed in Secondary Schools by School Type: SEA 2008 – 2012

Year Total Entered

Number / Percentage

Number Placed by Type of School Total Placed

7 & 5-Year Private Pre-Voc.

Government Schools Centres

2008

2009

17855

17615

17268

17280

17863

No.

%

No.

%

No.

%

No.

%

No.

%

16035

94.2

16100

94.9

15962

94.6

16042

95.1

16684

95.3

580

3.4

367

2.2

506

3.0

483

2.9

476

2.7

409

2.4

497

2.9

399

2.4

347

2.0

332

1.9

17024

95.3

16964

96.3

16867

97.7

16872

97.6

17492

97.9

2010

2011

2012

Source: Division of Educational Research and Evaluation

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Table 3 provides information on the number of students who re-wrote the SEA over a five year period 2008-2012. It is observed that there has been a steady decline in the number of students re-writing the SEA. In 2008, there were eight hundred and thirty-one (831) (4.7%) repeaters while by 2012 the figures had dropped significantly to three hundred and seventy- one (371) (2.1%). Over the five year period the Ministry sought to make several interventions to support students and help them to improve their performance. Among these efforts were the Performance Enhancement Programme and the CETT. The outcomes of these measures are becoming increasingly evident with the declining number of students re-writing the SEA.

Table 3: Number and Percentage of Students

Invited to Repeat SEA: 2008 - 2012

Year No. Wrote No. Placed No. & % of Repeaters

2008 17855 17024 831(4.7%)

2009 17615 16964 651(3.7%)

2010 17268 16867 401(2.3%)

2011 17280 16872 408(2.4%)

2012 17863 17492 371(2.1%)

Source: Division of Educational Research and Evaluation

9.4 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examination [CSEC] 2012

National Performance at a Glance re: CSEC

• A total of 30,791 candidates were registered for 35 subjects at the 2012 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examination (CSEC) as compared to 33,318 in 2011 and 33,254 in 2010 (Figure 10).

• 23,942 candidates actually wrote the examination of which 41.2% (9, 866) were males and 58.8% (14, 076) were females (Figure 11).

• Of the total 110, 795 subject entries, 59.5% (65, 936) obtained Grades 1-III. Of thisamount 13.8% (15, 239) obtained Grade 1, 20.3% (22, 475) obtained Grade II and 25.5%(28, 221) obtained Grade III (Figure 12).

• When the results are disaggregated by gender, 56.0% of the male students and 62.2% of the females who wrote the examination achieved Grades I-III.

• 42.8% of the students were successful in five or more subjects while the percentage of students who obtained five or more subjects with English A and Mathematics was 42.3%. In 31 of the 35 subjects written, 50% or more of the students obtained a passing grade - Grades I-III - with 9 of the subjects reflecting a pass rate of 75% or more. Physical Education and Sport recorded the highest pass rate approximately 92.4%.

• Agricultural Science (Double Award), Mathematics,Visual Arts and Human and Social Biology (HSB) fell below the 50% benchmark with Agricultural Science being the lowest. In Agricultural Science approximately 16.0% obtained Grades I-III, in Visual Arts 40.7%, Mathematics 41%, and HSB 46.4%

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A summary of the performance of students who wrote five or more subjects and attained five or more subjects including English A and Mathematics at the CSEC 2012 is presented in Table 4. Of the eight (8) educational districts, just two districts (Port-of Spain and Victoria) showed that 50% of the students gained 5 or more subjects including English A and

Mathematics. In three educational districts, fewer than 30% of the students gained 5 or more subjects including Maths and English A. Overall the national average was 42.2%. These results provide critical data that will inform strategies to be developed and implemented to improve students’ performance in these two subject areas.

Figure 7: The percentages of Students who registered for CSEC

over the period 2010-2012

Figure 8: The total number of Boys and Girls who wrote CSEC in 2012

11-2012

Educational District Attempted 5 or more with English A and

Mathematics

Attained 5 or more with English A

and Mathematics

% attained 5 or more with English A and

Mathematics

Caroni 1625 659 40.6

North Eastern 527 127 24.1

Port-of-Spain 2129 1105 51.9

Victoria 1613 844 52.3

South Eastern 1190 354 29.7

St George East 2648 1198 45.2

St Patrick 1150 401 34.9

Tobago 574 160 27.9

National 11,456 4,848 42.3

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Figure 9: CSEC 2012: Grades I – III Awarded by Subject Entries

Table 4 CSEC 2012: Number of students attaining five (5) or more subjects including Mathematics

and English A at government and government assisted secondary schools

Source: Division of Educational Research and Evaluation

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9.5 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE)

Students continued to excel at the CAPE. The performance of students at this examination has been consistently high over the period 2008- 2012. The results presented in Table 5 show that over 90% of the students gained passing grades in Unit I and Unit II over the five year period, except for the year 2010, when 88% gained passing grades in Units I and II.

annual cost for the award of all three hundred and seventy-two (372) national scholarships is fifty three million, seven hundred and two thousand dollars ($53,702,000.00). Scholarships were awarded in ten (10) subject groups which included Business, Environmental Science, Languages, Mathematics, Modern Studies/ Humanities, Natural Sciences, Technical Studies, Technological Studies, General Studies and Visual and Performing Arts.

Table 5: CAPE Unit I & Unit II – 2008 – 2012 (Grades I – IV)

YearSubject

Entries Unit I

Subject Entries Unit II

No. % Passed No. % Passed

2008 22,084 93.5 1,455 93.0

2009 23,415 91.8 1,564 90.6

2010 26,180 88.0 12,073 88.0

2011 26,294 92.8 12,350 93.3

2012 22,378 94.0 10,617 93.2

Source: Division of Educational Research and Evaluation

9.6 Award of National Scholarships based on CAPE Results

In 2012, the Government awarded three hundred and seventy-two (372) National Scholarships comprising seventy (70) open and three hundred and two (302) additional scholarships based on the CAPE 2012. The Government increased the number of national scholarships from three hundred and twenty-nine (329) in 2010 and three hundred and fifty-four (354) in 2011 to three hundred and seventy-two (372) in 2012, based on the rise in the number of students qualifying for such. The estimated

Additionally, two President’s Medals were awarded to the highest performing students in the examinations. These students were Marcus Isaac Belasco of Naparima College, San Fernando, who was the top performing student in Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Environmental Studies, and Brad Bachu of Presentation College, Chaguanas who was the top performer in Business, Languages, Modern Studies, Technical Studies, Technological Studies, Visual and Performing Arts and General Studies.

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9.7 Regional Awards Based on the CAPE

and CSEC Results

Students from Trinidad and Tobago captured

several of the top CXC awards for outstanding

performance on the CAPE and CSEC 2012.

Students won eight (8) of the nine (9) Regional

Top Awards in CAPE as follows: the most

outstanding overall candidate and the most

outstanding candidate in Natural Sciences,

Technical Studies, Business Studies,

Environmental Science, Mathematics, Modern

Languages and Humanities. Melissa Persad of

St Joseph’s Convent, St Joseph received the

Dennis Irvine Award, the symbol of academic

excellence for the Most Outstanding Candidate

Overall.

One student from St Joseph’s Convent, St

Joseph received the CSEC award for the Most

Outstanding Candidate in Visual Arts 3-

Dimensional Sculpture and Ceramics

Expressive Form in 2012.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015: Develop national testing and assessment

system for both the primary and

secondary levels of education

Procure textbooks and learning materials

to support changes in the new secondary

schools curriculum

Create and develop a policy for After

School Study Centres (ASSC) for

existing and new school study centres

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Figure 10: Ministry of Education Officials, CXC Officials and Students at Awards Ceremony

10. Testing and Neuro- Diagnostics of Children

,Consistent with its vision for the healthy, happy and normal development of children, the Ministry has prioritized the delivery of specialized services to prepare children for learning and education development so as to treat with the neurological and educational development of students. With this purpose in mind, the Testing and Neuro-Diagnostics of Children project was initiated.

The objectives of the Testing and Neuro-Diagnostics Project are to:

Conduct a pilot exercise with eight (8) ECCE Centres and eight (8) Primary schools which will comprise screening, assessment and intervention of children. Table 6 shows the schools selected for the pilot exercise

Provide appropriate education programmes and interventions for children assessed with learning needs, to help them to achieve their diverse levels of development

Develop a plan for the continued universal screening, testing and intervention planning for the treatment of children

Design and develop a programme to address the main factors affecting the child and his/her development including school, parents/guardians/ caregivers, teachers/ principals and classroom interactions.

Audio/visual tests were conducted over the period September 2012 to December 2012

for ninety percent (90%) of Infant Year I students entering primary school. This was done in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.

Some of the benefits to be derived from this project include:

Comprehensive provision of specialized services to students catering to specific diagnosed conditions

Establishment of a specialized services delivery system to cater to students’ needs

Individualized plans developed for children diagnosed with difficulties, mental

challenges, developmental disorders etc. To date technical assistance was procured

through the award of a contract for the development and implementation of appropriate strategies, plans and structures for children understanding, to address the needs of all children, and for the design and delivery of suitable children services.

The next steps for the project include the preparation of a project charter and work plan by the consultant, launching of the project at national and educational district levels in January 2013 and site visits to the selected pilot schools by consultants and project team members.

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DISTRICT PRIMARY SCHOOL ECCE CENTRE

St George East El Socorro South Government El Socorro South ECCE Centre

Port of Spain La Puerta Government La Puerta ECCE Centre

North Eastern Sangre Grande Government Sangre Grande ECCE Centre

Caroni Carapichaima Roman Catholic St Sylvan Anglican ECCE Centre

Victoria La Romaine Government La Romaine ECCE Centre

St Patrick Santa Flora Government Santa Flora ECCE Centre

South Eastern St. Mary’s Government St. Mary’s ECCE

Tobago Buccoo Government Buccoo ECCE Centre

Table 6. Pilot Schools re; Testing and Neuro-Diagnostics of Children Project

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015:

Develop a policy for assessment and

intervention for testing and neuro-

diagnostics of children

Implement this policy nationwide to all

schools in the education system

Provide appropriate education

programmes and interventions for

children assessed with learning needs

Provide learning materials for children at all levels, who are diagnosed with various types of learning disorders

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11. Continuous Assessment

The Continuous Assessment Component (CAC) of the Secondary Entrance Assessment is part of a series of transformational initiatives of the Ministry of Education intended to realize the five Value Outcomes of education for our children. In order to equip students with 21st century skills, it is necessary to change teaching and learning strategies and assessment methods. The CAC seeks to address the diverse backgrounds, aptitudes and learning styles of our students to ensure that they are given every opportunity to succeed.

The CAC programme consists of specified curriculum objectives for achieving skills and competencies not previously subject to assessment on a national scale. These competencies and skills will be gained by students as they participate in active hands- on learning supported by detailed feedback provided through their teachers from practice assessments. Assessment tasks will see students engaged in specific activities and the application of standard scoring guides.

The assessments will be monitored and moderated by Ministry officials to ensure adherence to national standards.

The CAC will be implemented in Standard 5 for the first time in the academic year 2012-2013. Students writing the SEA in 2013 will write the traditional Mathematics and the English Language Arts papers only. Both subjects combined will contribute a value of 80% of the students’ total mark. Students will have the opportunity to accumulate the other 20% over the entire year from the CAC in Creative Writing. The Ministry officials envisage that students will be afforded a greater chance to develop their writing in a relaxed manner and will no longer be marked on just one piece of writing. During the last academic year, the activities completed to ensure that the implementation of the CAC is on schedule include inter alia:-

• The training of primary school teachers in a process approach to writing and

scoring to ensure objectivity in marking of students’ writing

• All teachers were trained to use the same marking scheme supplied by the MOE

• CXC trained thirty-four (34) Curriculum Officers and forty-one (41) School Supervisors

• The implementation of a sensitization programme for Principals and other stakeholders through the conduct of conferences, fraternity meetings, cluster group meetings, face to face interviews and telephone calls. Also printed presentations with background information and implementation plans, Administrators’ booklets, memoranda and Question and Answer booklets were developed for school principals.

• Writing note books (portfolios) were provided to students at no additional cost to parents.

• Teachers were provided with copies of a text which utilizes Caribbean based themes and methodologies to support the teaching of writing.

11.1Achievements for 2010/2011

On December 31st, 2011, Physical Education and VAPA were included as part of the curriculum. On January 31st, 2012 a framework was developed for the introduction of CAP in primary schools and on March 31st, 2012, CXC was engaged for the inclusion of CAP in SEA.

The Ministry introduced a system of School Based Assessment for primary school students. This will ensure that students are assessed over a period of time, in subjects such as Physical Education; Visual and Performing Arts (Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre);

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Citizenry Development; Health and Family Life Education; Social Studies; Agri-Science; Morals; Values and Ethics; Language Arts and Mathematics. This initiative will be introduced in the 2012/2013 academic year to Standard 4 and Standard 5 students. Effectively the CAP will contribute to forty percent (40%) of the SEA score by 2014. Students will no longer be faced with ‘do or die’ final exit exam thus greatly relieving the stress the students undergo while ensuring they receive a more holistic education.

During the last year the MOE successfully administered on December 4th 2012, the first Writing Practice Assessment of the CAC English Arts for Standard five students. The Second Practice Assessment is scheduled for 31st January, 2013.

A draft agreement is being considered between CXC and Ministry of Education for assessment support. A workshop was held on July 30th, 012 to review the plan for CAC, its status and further planning and resourcing requirements.

The MoE secured the agreement of CXC and finalized the framework for inclusion of CAP in the SEA in March 31, 2012

An intensive training programme was implemented to support the introduction of CAC in September 2012. The contents of the training programme covered the process approach to writing and scoring to ensure objectivity in marking of students writing and the use of marking schemes supplied by the Ministry of Education

The personnel trained include -o Seventy-two (72) Facilitators

o Eight hundred and twenty-eight

(828) Standard V Teacherso Six hundred and nine (609)

Standard IV Teachers

Eleven thousand (11,000) training manuals and three thousand (3,000) CDs were developed for distribution as teaching aids

Resources at five hundred and fifty-seven (557) primary schools were enhanced to support the delivery of the expanded curriculum

Primary school teachers were trained in a process approach to writing and scoring to ensue objectivity in marking of students writing as well as to use the same marking scheme supplied by the MOE

Thirty-four (34) Curriculum Officers, forty-one (41) School Supervisors and a group of one hundred and twenty-one (121) persons were trained as CAC monitors by CXC

Additional administrative support was provided to school principals through the placement of over one thousand (1,000) On-The-Job trainees

Principals and other stakeholders were sensitized through the conduct of conferences, fraternity meetings, cluster group meetings, face to face interviews and telephone calls. Also printed presentations with background information and implementation plans, Administrators’ booklets, memoranda and Question and Answer booklets were developed for school principals.

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Writing note books /portfolios were provided to students at no additional cost to parents. Teachers were provided with copies of a text which utilizes Caribbean based themes and methodologies to support the teaching of writing.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015:

Train 42,290 persons (teachers and other stakeholders)

Implement an assessment system at the Primary level to provide alternative strategies to assess the abilities and competencies of students as a component of the SEA.

12. Career Guidance and Development in Secondary Schools

The Ministry is proposing to provide the required guidance and instruction to students that will assist in their career development and transition into the world of work. For the academic year 2011/2012, sixty percent (60%) of secondary schools have participated in the Career Guidance Programme of the Ministry. In January 2013, the Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training will be hosting a series of Career Fairs across the education districts including Tobago. This will give students the opportunity to receive information on career choices as well as visit the jobs and career coaches that will be available at the various locations.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015: Host Career Fairs across all the Education

Districts.

Increase participation by over 60% of

secondary schools in the Career Guidance

Programme.

13. Social Programmes

13.1 Textbook Loan Programme

The Textbook Loan Programme is administered

by the Ministry’s Textbook Management Unit. This is just one of the programmes that seek to create equity of opportunity in education. The provision of textbooks and other learning materials to students at all levels of the system ensures that students are equipped for the teaching-learning situation. The Education Facilities Company Limited (EFCL) was responsible for the procurement and distribution of all textbooks and learning materials to ECCE, primary and secondary schools. In an effort to reduce wastage and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the programme, the Ministry undertook an inventory audit in May 2012. The audit was aimed at collecting data on all excess textbooks or unused textbooks in the primary and secondary school system with a view to re-distribute the books to schools in need.

However some of the challenges encountered were the poor response from schools as well as the lack of resources to both collect and re- distribute the books. For fiscal 2011/2012 the following were provided:

13.1.1 Infants I and Infants IITextbooks in five (5) subject areas - Mathematics,Language Arts, Reading, Science and Social Studies, as well as workbooks, in the three (3) subject areas of Language Arts, Science and Reading.

13.1.2 Standard 1 to Standard 5Textbooks in five (5) subject areas - Mathematics,Language Arts, Reading, Science, and Social Studies, and one (1) dictionary for students of Standard 1 and one (1) Atlas for students of Standard 3.

13.1.3 Forms 1, 2 and 3Each student was provided with one (1)textbook for each of the seven (7) core areas of the curriculum namely Mathematics,

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English, Spanish, Social Studies, Integrated Science, Physical Education, and Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA). In addition, all students entering Form 1, were provided with an Atlas, a Spanish dictionary and an English dictionary to be retained by the students up to examination level.

13.1.4 Forms 4 and 6

One (1) textbook in each of the subject areas,pursued by the student.

The textbooks to be used in schools were selected by the Principals, in conjunction

with the subject teachers.

13.2 School Nutrition Programme

The School Nutrition Programme currently provides approximately one hundred and fifty-seven thousand, three hundred and sixty- one (157,361) breakfast and lunch

meals to students throughout the education system. This represents an overall increase of two thousand, three hundred and sixty-one (2,361) meals each day over the previous financial year. The following Table 7 reflects the breakdown of the beneficiaries of school meals by education levels as at May 31, 2012.

Table 7: Distribution of meals by level and cost as at May 31st, 2012

Education LevelBreakfast per day

Lunch per day

Breakfast and Lunch per day

Cost per day

Pre- school 456

7,551 8,007 $68,273.78

Primary 43,394 66,965 110,359 $927,048.06

Secondary 13,047 20,998 34,045 $286,828.06

Special School 611

897 1,508 $11,952.53

Technical/Vocational1,497 1,945 3,442 $28,558.81

Total 59,005 98,356 157,361 $1,322,661.23

Total expenditure for the period October 2011 to May 2012 was $196,513,559 compared to$170,835,465 spent over the same period in Fiscal 2011.

In an effort to improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the Programme, the National Schools Dietary Services Limited (NSDSL) has prioritized the following actions that need to be implemented in fiscal year 2013. These are as follows:

• Definition and prioritization of the NSDSL

• Achieving model School Nutrition Programme status

• Conduct of Research

• Commence negotiation of new meal prices (payment to caterers)

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CHAPTER TWO

Goal 2

Transforming the Ministry into a High Performing Organization

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P

Transforming the Ministry into a High Performing Organization

rogress in education depends on effective governance and adequate national policies. Mindful of this, three (3) organizational priorities have been developed for the

transformation of the Ministry into a high performing organization.

These are:

• Organizational Restructuring and Institutional Strengthening which incorporates development of Information Communication Technology

• Corporate Communication Strategy

• Human Resource Management and Strengthening

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2011-2012

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2.1 Organizational Restructuring and Institutional Strengthening

The thrust of these transformation initiatives is towards improving internal practices, processes and service delivery. Work continued apace in 2012 to re-engineer the operations of the Ministry in order to improve the quality and timeliness of services being delivered. To this end, the capacity of the Programme and Projects Planning and Management Unit (PPPMU) was further expanded in 2011/2012. This Unit serves as the main point of management for all programmes and projects of the MOE. The major benefits from this approach include harmonisation of efforts, common use of projects and change management methodologies, development and use of core and support business processes. Additionally, this approach will allow the Ministry to focus on its core responsibilities and efficient and effective delivery of goals (value outcomes), which leads towards ensuring value for money spent on the education system.

Central to the success of the Ministry’s transformation is the creation of a suitable organisational structure. In this regard, efforts were pursued to develop the new top organisational structure which has been approved by the Senior Executive Team. All efforts were made to ensure that the structure was reflective of and would be responsive to the Ministry’s transformation initiatives and strategic objectives. To this end, the person who was identified to lead the respective functional area, worked with a Team consisting of persons drawn from relevant areas, supported by persons providing organisational structuring or human resource management expertise, as required. The development of the organisational structures for the following Divisions was significantly advanced in 2012:-

• School Supervision and Management

• Corporate Planning

• Teaching and Teacher Development

• Educational Services Delivery

Upon completion of the restructuring exercise, the requisite approvals will be sought so that implementation may commence.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013-2015

• Conduct of an organizational review of the HR Management Division which will facilitate a coordinated alignment of structure with roles, as well as, for the assessment of the current HRM processes, inclusive of its IHRIS

• Review of current and proposed management structure of the MOE and making of relevant recommendations

• Identification of the resources required, including technological, that will ensure optimum performance of the business processes.

• The Ministry will be recruiting a Consultant for the Human Resource Management Strategy, Organisation Structuring, Process and Organisation Transformation and IHRIS implementation.

• Review current and proposed management structure of the MoE in order to foster improved decision making, processes and systems of the Ministry

• Develop a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the Ministry.• Conduct of rapid assessment/evaluation of projects and programmes.• Communicate and disseminate strategy for the Education Sector Strategic Plan 2011 – 2015.• Identify the resources required, including technological, that will ensure optimum performance

of the business processes.

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2.1.1 Information and Communication Technology

• In addition to initiatives implemented at the school level, the Ministry is working to provide at the central level a Centralised WAN Optimised Wireless System that will facilitate seamless roaming by Students, Teachers, Administrative Staff and other Stakeholders throughout all MOE locations/sites. Computerisation of the education district offices is ongoing. The South Eastern District office is currently being upgraded, while the installation and commissioning of Local Area Networks at six (6) Educational District Offices have been completed. A total of $3M has been expended to improve the ICT infrastructure at the Education District Offices.

In 2013, the Ministry plans to:-

1. Provide at least a 10Mb Network connection to each MOE Site which will facilitate the Sharing of Services amongst all Stakeholders

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2. Provide fence-fence wireless coverage to all stakeholders within MOE Sites.

3. Provide at least a 1Gb of Filtered Internet that will be prioritised and Shared amongst all Sites

4. Upgrade the hardware infrastructure at each site.

5. Procure computers and peripheral equipment for the outfitting of the Ministry’s offices in the new buildings and the district offices for Caroni, Port- of-Spain and Environs, North Eastern and St. Patrick

6. Procure computers and peripheral equipment for one hundred and thirty nine (139) schools under the Computerization of Primary Schools Programme

7. Provide educational software for four hundred and seventy-six (476) primary schools

8. Expand the primary school network infrastructure to accommodate wireless network access at three hundred and forty (340) primary school

9. Provide support for the laptop initiative through the provision of wireless and network interface cards, cabling, connectors, servers and hub

10. Provide hardware and software to support a web-based School Based Management System (SBMS) that will capture data on students, teachers and schools to inform policy-making

2.2 Human Resource Management and Strengthening

The services of a consultant are being procured to provide technical assistance for the conduct of a consultancy aimed at the transformation of the Human Resource Management Division of the Ministry, including full utilization of the IntegratedHumanResourceInformationSystem (IHRIS). A revised TOR for this consultancy was developed and a request for Proposal was sent to the nine (9) qualified bidders on July 25th, 2012 by the Central Tenders Board. The closing date for RFP was August 23rd, 2012. Proposals have been evaluated. The selected Consultant is expected to be contracted and to begin work shortly.

2.2.1 Staffing

The Ministry of Education collaborated with the Teaching Service Commission in the filling of vacancies in promotional positions as follows:-

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Teaching Service

Promotions received from Teaching Service Commission for 2012 are as follows:-

Primary Schools

POSITIONS TOTAL

Principal (Primary) 82

Vice Principal (Primary) 15

Heads of Department (Primary) 63

Senior Teacher (Primary) 3

Dean (Primary) 60

Senior Teacher (Primary) 100

Senior Special Teacher (Primary) 3

Assistant Teacher (Primary) 130

Secondary Schools

POSITIONS TOTAL

Principal (Secondary) 25

Vice Principal (Secondary) 24

Head of Department (Secondary) 6

Dean (Secondary) 60

During the last year the Ministry of Education received notice from the Teaching Service Commission of the permanent appointments of one hundred and forty-five (145) teachers (Technical/Vocational Teacher I/II/III/IV – Teacher II/III) .

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DELINKED STAFFNEW

APPOINTMENTPROMOTION

ACTING APPOINTMENT

Chief Education Officer1

Director,Educational Research and Evaluation

1

Assistant Director, Education and Evaluation

1

Curriculum Officer 29

Schools Supervisor III2

Schools Supervisor I4

Guidance Officer2

Education Testing Officer1

In the last year the Ministry of Education recommended to the Teaching Service Commission two hundred and thirty (230) new recruits for the positions of (Technical/Vocational Teacher I/II/III/ IV – Teacher II/III) .

Civil Service

Promotions in the Civil Service

In the last year, there were ninety-one (91) promotions in various categories of staff, one hundred and thirty-two (132) permanent appointments in various categories of staff, while there were one hundred and twenty-four(124) new recruitments in various categories.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015:

Develop and implement an e-Registry of Teachers.

Implement a Training Plan for Civil Service staff.

Develop a Policy on the implementation of a Recognition System for staff of MoE.

2.3 Corporate Communication Strategy

The Ministry’s Communication strategy is crucial to getting the message out to our stakeholders regarding our efforts to transform the education system. The feedback from stakeholders is highly respected since it helps us to improve our performance. The Ministry is working towards strengthening its communications arm as it seeks to improve its brand and levels of effectiveness. Plans are in train to hire a Director to head the Communications Unit. That person will be responsible for the development of a comprehensive communication strategy, among other things. The hiring process

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commenced in January 2013.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015:

The Ministry will embark on the selection and recruitment of a Consultant to develop the MOE’s Communication Strategy.

Sign a contract with the selected Consultant

2.4 Internal Stakeholders

The strength of any organization depends on its human resources. The Ministry recognizes the importance of its staff and their input towards the attainment of its organizational goals and priorities. During the last year the Ministry continued to recognize and show its appreciation for members of staff for their invaluable

contributions. One such appreciation was held for retirees of the Ministry at a gala function held in November 2011.

SEA Award Ceremony

World Teachers’ Day

SEA 2013 - Prime Minister and Minister of Education school visits.

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2

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Figure 11: Celebrations at the Ministry of Education

Some of the other celebratory events that were held in the last year included a Christmas function in December 2011 and a function for secretarial staff in April 2012. These lighter occasions were embraced by staff to mix and mingle and to get to know each other better. Figure 14 captures some of these moments

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CHAPTER THREE

Goal 3

Engage Stakeholders in the Change and Transformation Process

S

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Engage Stakeholders in the Change and Transformation Process

uccessful delivery in education relies on many people and organisations across the community working together for the benefit of schools. The Ministry and its many

stakeholders and benefactors continue to work progressively to improve the quality of education. As the Ministry seeks to advance its reform initiatives, the need to engage stakeholders cannot be overstated. More so, since, several of these initiatives require input from stakeholders and quite often constant dialogue and exchange of information. In collaboration with our stakeholders we were able to achieve the following in 2011/2012.

Principals’ Consultation

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3.1 Engaging Stakeholders

In June 2012, the Ministry of Education along with other Ministries and agencies participated in a Public Service Career Fair. Information on training opportunities and employment were provided to job seekers. The Job Fair allowed citizens over a period of four days in North and South Trinidad and Tobago to interact with government service providers, and learn more about what different public sector organisations are doing to make services more accessible in a timely and cost-effective manner.

The Ministry held a number of meetings with one of its key stakeholders – TTUTA, to inform and garner their support for several initiatives including the introduction of the Continuous Assessment Component (CAC) of the Secondary Entrance Assessment.

Meetings were also held with the National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA), to discuss further strengthening of their relationship with the Ministry. The Minister of Education reiterated his commitment to engage and recognise the role of parents in the support and development of children as fundamental elements of our education system. The NPTA was informed of the Ministry’s plans to set standards, specifications and requirements that are applicable to the recruitment of persons for teaching positions by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). The NPTA executive was commended for their initiative in dealing with problems like tardiness by students and in their overall approach to problem solving. NPTA and the Ministry of Education also agreed to work together to improve the quality of the meals being offered to students in all school cafeterias as well as, those distributed by the National

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School Dietary Services Ltd. Both parties reiterated their commitment to join forces to achieve the holistic development of our children, as the NPTA offered its support re: the Ministry’s Continuous Assessment Component (CAC).

The MOE hosted a Principals’ Leadership Conference themed ‘The Leader in Me’. The conference was held at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya on March 27, 2012 and was well attended by a cross section of principals from primary and secondary schools. The objective was to create leadership personalities who are equipped to support and implement the reform initiatives for early childhood care and education, primary and secondary schools.

The MOE continued its programme of training of educators for the Continuous Assessment Component of the SEA. Teachers of standard IV and V; school administrators and parent/

guardians of children who are being home schooled were invited to training sessions that were held from July 23rd to August 25th, 2012.

The achievements for 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 are as follows:

3.1.1 Stakeholder consultations

Stakeholder Engagement Workshops were hosted for internal and external stakeholders to elicit the widest possible views on the Ministry’s Strategy Report, November, 2010.

Over four hundred and fifty (450) primary school Principals, School Supervisors, Representatives of TTUTA, NPTA, Denominational Boards, UWI, UTT, participated in the Primary School Principals’ Workshop on November 15, 2011 at Centre of Excellence.

MOE strengthened its relationships with stakeholders by holding meetings on a regular basis to extensively discuss issues relating to

education. Meetings were held with TTUTA and the NPTA. As a result, the Ministry got full support from these organizations with respect to the change of the date of the SEA from March to May 2012. In the spirit of collaboration TTUTA was invited to assign a representative to sit on the national Council for Early Childhood Care and Education which will comprise members of the Ministry of Education, private sector and universities, among others. TTUTA is one of the Ministry’s key stakeholders whose input is highly valued and respected, therefore the Ministry remains committed to strengthening its working relationship with TTUTA to address some of the vexing problems affecting the schools.

Ministry of Education hosted a Corporate Bodies Consultation on the alignment of extra- curricular activities with the key objectives of MOE. More than two hundred and fifty (250) NGOs, FBOs and other organizations participated.

3.1.2 Recognition and Reward The Ministry of Education honoured the

nation’s teachers as part of its celebration of World’ Teacher Day (October 5, 2011).

Over two hundred and forty (240) retirees were honoured by the MOE on 11th February, 2012 at the HYATT

One hundred and fifty-eight (158) SEA Top Performing Students (attaining scores of 95% and over) were honoured by the MOE at the Hyatt on 4th February 2012.

3.1.3 Reaching vulnerable children

The Tobago School for Special Needs Children was opened on December 15, 2011.

The Task Force on Violence and Indiscipline in schools was established under the chairmanship of the Minister in the Ministry

of Education. The Task Force comprises persons from the Ministries of Sport, People and Social Development, Community Development, National Security, The Solicitor General’s Office, National Parent Teachers Association (NPTA), Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools, Association of Principals of Assisted Secondary Schools, Association of Denominational Boards, Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association and representatives from the Ministry of Education.

The National Student Hotline was activated in collaboration with Childline, a registered non-profit organization, and the Ministry of the People and Social Development. The project provides a twenty–four (24) hour, free telephone service for children and young adults. Childline, the host of the National Student Hotline, offers children and adolescents counseling on a wide range of issues that affect their lives.

3.1.4 Engaging students

Secondary school students participated in the Eco-Song Competition organized by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA). The Ministry of Education has also partnered with the EMA over the past 12 years on the Primary Schools’ ‘Hands-On’ Competition and the Secondary Schools’ Dramatic Envirologue (Forms 4-6).

3.2 Community Participation

Prime Minister collaborates for a holistic education

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The Ministry recognises the importance of engagingthecommunityinthedeliveryofquality education. The Ministry has enjoyed a long standing partnership with the local churches in the operation of primary and secondary schools in the country. This relationship was formalised with the enactment of the Concordat of 1960, which outlined the shared responsibilities of both parties in the development of education. A total of 339 primary schools and 41 secondary schools are owned and operated by various denominational boards of management, with financial support provided by the Ministry. This partnership with the community continues to be nurtured with the process of installing Local

School Boards (LSBs) in all government schools. These Local School Boards comprise members of the school’s administration, the PTA, student representatives, teacher representatives and community members. At present, there are thirty-four (34 or 25%) government primary schools and one hundred and thirty-four (134 or 100%) government secondary schools with operating Local School Boards. In addition, the Ministry has created a close partnership with the National Parent - Teachers’ Association as a vehicle for addressing the issues facing parents in the education and development of our children.

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Implementation of a Mentorship Programme in Primary and Secondary Schools

The MOE has partnered with the Ministry of National Security to implement the National Mentorship Programme (NMP). The National Mentorship Programme is geared toward positive youth development, and is aimed at young people between the ages of 9 to 25 years, from primary to tertiary level, as well as youth in general who may not have had the opportunity to be exposed to a stable mentor. Participants will be paired with role models who will teach them fundamental life skills, civic responsibility and positive ways of relating to their peers. Among the many positives, a long-term benefit of the project is expected to be a reduction in youth offences.

At present, there are 190 mentees (150 males and 40 females) with mentors registered in the programme and 104 mentees awaiting mentors.114 mentors have completed the training programme with 53 mentors matched and 32 mentors tentatively matched to mentees.

3.3 Consultation with ECCE Providers

In June 2012 a series of consultations was held with the aim of engaging private Early

Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) providers to partner with the Ministry to achieve Universal Education (ECCE). The consultations were scheduled as follows:-

• Group 1 - ECCE Centres in the following Education districts: Port of Spain, St. George East and North Eastern

• Group 2 - ECCE Centres in the following Education Districts: Caroni, South Eastern, Victoria and St. Patrick

• An ECCE consultation is also being planned for Tobago.

Participants were presented with four options. Each option outlined the obligations of both the MoE and the prospective service providers. This process will streamline ECCE sector, as the Ministry strives to be the first nation to achieve universal Early Childhood Care and Education by 2015.

PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 – 2015:

Fully engage all stakeholders of the activities and plans of the Ministry with emphasis on soliciting feedback to ensure greater success in implementation.

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CHAPTER FOUR

Financial Review

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Financial Review

For the financial year 2011/2012, the Ministry of Education was allocated the sum of four billion, one hundred and forty-three million, eight hundred and sixty-nine thousand, three hundred and thirty-eight dollars ($4,143,869,338) to facilitate both Development (Capital) and Recurrent (operational) expenditure. This allocation represented 6.99% of the total national expenditure of $59,215,465,885 (total recurrent and total development programme expenditure of Trinidad and Tobago) and also a small increase of 1.66% over the total expenditure of $4,076,069,389 provided for fiscal 2010/2011.

YEARTOTAL

RECURRENT EXPENDITURE

$

TOTAL DEVELOPMENT (CAPITAL)

EXPENDITURE$

TOTAL EXPENDITURE$

2008 3,337,499,200 840,224,308 4,177,723,508

2009 3,211,995,835 1,066,286,466 4,278,282,301

2010 3,295,548,639 484,583,914 3,780,132,553

2011 3,475,411,204 600,656,185 4,076,067,389

2012 3,603,847,938 540,021,400 4,143,869,338

Table 8 – Ministry of Education’s Financial Allocation (2008 – 2012)

Table 8 shows Recurrent Expenditure, Capital Expenditure and Total Expenditure of the Ministry of Education over a five (5) year period 2008 to 2012. Over the five-year period,, recurrent expenditure has increased from year to year except for the year 2009 where it dropped to the lowest allocation in the sum of three billion, two hundred and eleven thousand nine hundred and ninety-five thousand, eight hundred and thirty-five dollars

($3,211,995,835).. Other than this only year, the total recurrent expenditure for each year within the said five-year period rose each year steadily.

The Development (Capital) Programme expenditure fluctuates each year for the same five-year period, that is, it reflects increases and decreases from year to year to accommodate the infrastructural works done on behalf of the Ministry.

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The general trend of the total expenditure shows increases from year to year except in 2010 where there was a small decrease in total allocation to the Ministry of Education. For the year under review (2011 – 2012) there was an increase in the recurrent expenditure, however there was a decrease in capital expenditure.

4.1 Recurrent Expenditure

Government’s recurrent expenditure reflects money spent on the day to day operations of the Ministry. Recurrent expenditure consists mainly of:

• Personnel expenditure- wages; salaries; allowances; settlement of arrears; overtime; government’s contribution to national Insurance, group health insurance and group pension for General Administration, Primary Education and Secondary Education

• Goods and services- travelling and subsistence; overseas travel facilities; utilityexpenses;repairsandmaintenance to vehicles, equipment and buildings; office materials and supplies; training; janitorial and maintenance services etc. for General Administration; Primary and Secondary Education; District Services Division; Early Childhood and Care and Education Unit and

Rudranath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre

• Minor equipment purchases- vehicles; office equipment; furniture and furnishings other minor equipment purchases for General Administration; Primary Education; District Services Division; Early Childhood and Care and Education Unit and Rudranath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre

Current transfers and subsidies- transfers and subsidies to Regional Bodies; United Nations Organisations; International Bodies; Educational

Institutions; Households; State Enterprises

Current transfers to statutory boards and similar bodies- transfers to Statutory boards; Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO; National Library and Information System

For fiscal 2011/2012, the recurrent expenditure of three billion, six hundred and three million, eight hundred and forty seven thousand and nine hundred and thirty eight dollars ($3,603,847,938) represented 86.97% of the Ministry’s total allocation of four billion, one hundred and forty three million, eight hundred and sixty nine thousand and three hundred and thirty eight dollars ($4,143,869,338).

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DESCRIPTION 2011 ACTUAL

EXPENDITURE$

2012 REVISED ESTIMATES

$

NET INCREASE/ (DECREASE)

$

Personnel Expenditure 2,058,837,078 2,056,023,000 (2,814,078)

Goods and Services 704,085,691 773,862,100 69,776,409

Minor Equipment Purchases 71,569,163 101,193,200 29,624,037

Current Transfers and Subsidies

638,568,2 7 0 659,896,568 30,828,298

Current Transfers to Statutory Boards and Similar Bodies

2,351,002 3,373,070 1,022,068

TOTAL 3,475,411,204 3,603,847,938 128,436,734

Table 9- Summary of Recurrent Expenditure for the Ministry of Education (2011 – 2012)

Table 9 illustrates a decrease in personnel expenditure of two million, eight hundred and fourteen thousand and seventy eight dollars ($2,814,078) while expenditure on goods and services; minor equipment purchases; current transfers and subsidies and current transfers to statutory boards and similar bodies increased over the fiscal years 2011 and 2012. The largest increase of sixty nine million, seven hundred and seventy six thousand, four hundred and nine dollars ($69,776,409) was as a result of

higher expenditure for goods and services goods and services utilized by the various Divisions, statutory Boards and Similar Bodies under the purview of the Ministry.

Recurrent expenditure for fiscal 2011/2012 represents an increase of one hundred and twenty eight million, four hundred and thirty six thousand, and seven hundred and thirty four dollars ($128,436,734) from the allocation for fiscal 2010/2011 as illustrated in Table 9 above.

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ESCRIPTION 2011 ACTUAL

EXPENDITURE$

2012 REVISED ESTIMATES

$

NET INCREASE/ (DECREASE)

$

Personnel Expenditure 2,058,837,078 2,056,023,000 (2,814,078)

Goods and Services 704,085,691 773,862,100 69,776,409

Minor Equipment Purchases 71,569,163 101,193,200 29,624,037

Current Transfers and Subsidies

638,568,270 659,896,568 30,828,298

Current Transfers to Statutory Boards and Similar Bodies

2,351,002 3,373,070 1,022,068

TOTAL 3,475,411,204 3,603,847,938 128,436,734

Table 9- Summary of Recurrent Expenditure for the Ministry of Education (2011 – 2012)

Table 9 illustrates a decrease in personnel expenditure of two million, eight hundred and fourteen thousand and seventy eight dollars ($2,814,078) while expenditure on goods and services; minor equipment purchases; current transfers and subsidies and current transfers to statutory boards and similar bodies increased over the fiscal years 2011 and 2012. The largest increase of sixty nine million, seven hundred and seventy six thousand, four hundred and nine dollars ($69,776,409) was as a result of

higher expenditure for goods and services goods and services.

Recurrent expenditure for fiscal 2011/2012 represents an increase of one hundred and twenty eight million, four hundred and thirty six thousand, and seven hundred and thirty four dollars ($128,436,734) from the allocation for fiscal 2010/2011 as illustrated in Table 9 above.

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SUB-HEAD/ITEM/SUB-ITEM DESCRIPTION

2012 REVISED ESTIMATES$

01 PERSONNEL EXPENDITURE

001 General Administration01 Salaries and Cost of Living Allowance

05 Secondary Education01 Salaries and Cost of Living Allowance

006 Primary Education01 Salaries and Cost of Living Allowance

154,000,000

907,000,000

860,000,00

02 GOODS AND SERVICES

120,000,000001 General Administration

16 Contract Employment37 Janitorial Services 106,800,00043 Security Services 204,000,000

03 MINOR EQUIPMENT PURCHASES

001 General Administration 90,844,000

04 CURRENT TRANSFERS AND SUBSIDIES

330,781,250006 Educational Institutions

011 Transfers to State Enterprises02 National Schools Dietary Services Limited 248,000,000

05 CURRENT TRANSFERS TO STATUTORY BOARDS AND SIMILAR BODIES

004 Statutory Boards13 Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for

UNESCO3,373,070

Table 10 - Major recurrent expenditure under sub- heads for fiscal 2011/2012

GOODS and SERVICES:Goods and services have accounted for a substantial proportion of the budget. These include payments for utilities (water and sewerage, telephone, internet access for all primary and secondary schools, and electricity).The expenditure for Rental/Lease of property for accommodation amounted to sixty-six million, six hundred and fifty-four thousand, two hundred and thirty-seven dollars ($66,654,237), while Repairs and Maintenance to Buildings amounted to nine million, eight hundred and eighteen thousand, nine hundred and thirty-two dollars ($9,818,932). The expenditure for contract employment, the provision of janitorial services and security services were high. Employees are hired on a contractual basis. There are also the provision Schools’ Clerical Officers at the Primary Schools, cleaners/janitors and security guards at Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, ECCE centres and other buildings under the purview of the Ministry. The aforementioned expenses totalled four hundred and thirty million, eight hundred thousand dollars ($430,800,000) and represent 55.7% of total expenditure under total goods and services ($773,862,100).

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MINOR EQUIPMENT PURCHASES:Minor equipment purchases for general administration represented the majority of total expenditure on minor equipment. In fiscal 2011/2012 the Ministry of Education bought vehicles, office equipment, furniture and furnishings and other minor equipment for general administration valued at ninety million eight hundred and forty four thousand dollars ($90,844,000). This represents 89.8% of total expenditure on minor equipment purchases ($101,193,200). There is also the purchase of Minor Equipment for District Services Divisions, RCLRC, and some Primary Schools. The cost of minor equipment for the Primary Schools was twenty million, three hundred and twenty-four thousand, eight hundred and forty-nine dollars ($20,324,849). The total expenditure for the other units was one million, five hundred and forty-six thousand, six hundred and ninety-three dollars ($1,546,693).

MINOR EQUIPMENT PURCHASES:Current transfers/subsidies to Educational Institutions and the National School Dietary Services Limited amounted to five hundred and seventy eight million, seven hundred and eighty one thousand and two hundred and fifty dollars ($578,781,250). This represented 87.70% of total current transfers and subsidies ($659,896,568). These transfers included grants to assisted primary schools, assisted secondary schools, private primary schools, private secondary schools and government secondary schools; textbooks provided through the textbook rental programme and breakfast and lunch to students etc.

In fiscal 2011/2012, current transfers to statutory boards and similar bodies represented 0.1 % of total recurrent expenditure ($3,603,847,938). A single transfer was made to the Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO. This transfer was valued at three million, three hundred and seventy three thousand and seventy dollars ($3,373,070).

On an annual basis large sums of money

are allocated for the provision of janitorial/ maintenance services, security services, the textbook loan programme, the school nutrition progamme and grants to primary and

secondary schools. The government’s sustained effort to expend on these services indicates its commitment to ensuring that students have all the necessary resources to support their learning.

4.2 Development Programme Expenditure

Total capital expenditure comes from the Consolidated and Infrastructure Development Funds. It consists of expenditure on Social Infrastructure and Multi-Sectoral and Other services falling under Head 26 (Development Programme) and Head 701 (Infrastructure Development). This expenditure reflects the acquisition or enhancement of fixed or long term assets.

Falling under the heading of Social Infrastructure are improvement/refurbishment/extensions; construction; procurement of furniture and equipment for ECCE centres, primary schools, secondary schools and schools catering for students with special needs. Multi-sectoral and other services cater for payments made for administrative services and renovations/ construction/ relocation/outfitting and refurbishment of public buildings.

For fiscal 2011/2012, the total programme expenditure of five hundred and forty million, twenty one thousand and four hundred dollars ($540,021,400) represented 13.03% of the Ministry’s total allocation of four billion, one hundred and forty three million, eight hundred and sixty nine thousand and three hundred and thirty eight dollars ($4,143,869,338).

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SUB-HEAD/ITEM/SUB-ITEM DESCRIPTION

2012 REVISED ESTIMATES

$

09 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

10,450,000

(HEAD 26)

004 Social Infrastructure04 Education

005 Multi-Sectoral and Other Services 31,132,400

06 General Public Services

26 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (HEAD 701)

7,000,000

004 Social Infrastructure04 Education

Pre-PrimaryPrimary 200,570,000Secondary 285,869,000

Special Education 3,000,000005 Multi-Sectoral and Other Services

06 General Public Services 2,000,000

TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE 540,021,400

Table 11- Summary of capital expenditure for fiscal 2011/2012

As seen in Table 11, the largest contributor to total development programme expenditure was social infrastructure under Head 701, valued at four hundred and ninety six million, four hundred and thirty nine thousand dollars ($496,439,000). This represents 91.9% of total capital expenditure ($540,021,400). During the fiscal year 2011/2012, the Ministry of Education spent large proportions of money on improvements/refurbishments /extensions to ECCE centres, primary schools, secondary schools and special schools. Payments were made for construction of Penal Rock SDMS; Monkey Town Government Primary School; St. Barbara’s Spiritual Shouter Baptist School; Enterprise Government Primary School; Biche High School; Siparia East Secondary; School for Special Education at Point Fortin and many more.

Under Head 26, multi-sectoral and other services were the second largest contributor to total development expenditure valued at thirty one million one hundred and thirty two thousand and four hundred dollars ($31,132,400). This represents 5.76% of total development expenditure ($540,021,400). During fiscal 2011/2012 the Ministry allocated money towards the Seamless Education System Project; Professional Development; Institutional Strengthening; relocation of Ministry of Education and renovation at head office.

The Ministry remains committed to enhancing the quality of education and ensuring that each child has access to education through its school construction programme. The Ministry recognizes the need to cater to students with

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special education needs through the development of schools which provide specialised services for students with moderate and severe educational needs.

Looking ahead, the Ministry received a budgetary allocation of over approximately (5) billion dollars for fiscal 2012/2013. Table 12 shows the breakdown of the allocation for recurrent expenditure and the Development Programme.

Recurrent Expenditure Development Programme Total Allocation

4,208,124,536 711,200,000 4,919,324,536

Table 12: Budgetary Allocation for fiscal 2012/2013

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CHAPTER FIVE

The Way Forward

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I

The Way Forward

t is evident that the Ministry is on an ambitious drive to reform and re-engineer the education system. The signs of the paradigm shift that is taking place in education to meet

the ever changing demands and contemporary needs of society are undeniable. From early childhood education to

secondary education, fundamental changes are taking place to ensure all learners benefit from high quality

education. As indicated earlier, these changes include new school buildings, new primary school curriculum,

teacher training and developmentand preparation of children for learning and development.

Looking back, the Ministry accomplished several of its targets that were outlined in its Strategic Plan 2011 – 2015 and sixteen priority areas, amid all the challenges. However, there are areas that require much more work if we are to meet our targets. As we look ahead to 2013 the Ministry will sharpen its focus on the delivery of services around its priority areas. We intend to improve our stakeholder relationships and seek out new means of engagement in order to lift the levels of achievements of all learners. We are also improving our ICT infrastructure at all levels of the system. Further, more attention will be paid to our operating model at central and district levels to ensure its flexibility and responsiveness in support of our efforts to improve outcomes.

Transformation exercises are never short of challenges. One current challenge is the restructuring of some of the key Divisions

and work processes within the Ministry and at the same time continue with day to day operations including the fulfilment of statutory requirements. Also the issue of staffing is another concern. Within the last year the Ministry was on a drive to recruit staff for some key Divisions. This process is at different stages of completion for the various positions and on completion should result in Divisions having a full complement of staff.

Amid all the challenges we are optimistic that our goals for the education system and by extension those for our students will be realized. Given the astute leadership of the Minister, the SET and the skills and energy of the staff at the Ministry of Education there is no reason why we cannot achieve what we have planned.

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Produced by Ministry of Education

Corporate Communications Division June 2013