Education Sector Plan: Education for All: Embracing Change, Securing Finale | Page 34

Education for All: Embracing Change, Securing the Future
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a need for sufficiently qualified staff with responsibility for data management at the MoE and institutional
levels. Critically, the MoE has procured a web-based EMIS to improve data management and support
evidence-based planning and decision making at all levels (UNESCO, 2016; World Bank, 2015b).
Performance assessment systems are in need of standardization. Beyond the limitations with accurately
measuring student learning (indicated in section 2.3), the existing clinical supervision and teacher appraisal
system is not implemented in a uniform manner and the data are not used systematically for decision
making with respect to professional development, disciplinary action, and career advancement. In this
regard, there ar e no MoE performance assessment systems in place for non-teaching staff (e.g. guidance
counsellors), principals, or Ministry officials. With respect to institutional performance assessments,
objective rubrics and standards to guide school performance review processes are not in place.
Effective management at the level of the institution needs strengthening. While the majority of principals
are teacher-trained (94% at the primary level and 64% at the secondary level), and incoming principals
are expected to have at least a Bachelor’s Degree, few principals have been trained in educational lead-
ership and administration. 32 With respect to school management teams, no terms of reference exist for
their operation. As such, their operation differs between institutions, with varying levels of participation
from key actors such as student councils and Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs). Additionally, although
most schools have School Improvement Plans (SIPs), the quality of such plans and their use in guiding
management decisions varies widely between institutions.
Governance and management arrangements in a small state or Ministry are typically more flexible and less formal
than in larger contexts, owing to the multiple roles/functions that administrators typically fulfil. Nevertheless, the
challenges mentioned above have limited strategic capacity as well as leadership and accountability within the MoE,
which, in turn, compromises effective governance and management.
2.6. Summary of key policy issues
This chapter has presented available data and information on the strengths and weaknesses in the sector from
various angles of analysis. Table 5 provides a list of key policy issues to be taken up in the ESP. These are discussed
further in Chapter 3 on policy goals and strategies.
Table 5:
Summary of key policy issues
Domain
Access and
participation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Quality and
relevance
Governance,
finance, and
management
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Key policy issues
Need to increase enrolment in quality ECD, especially for ages 0–2
Need to improve retention in upper secondary school
Lack of access to quality and relevant TVET
Need to reduce gender disparities in participation at the secondary level and beyond
Need to increase participation in higher education
Lack of clarity on the influence of existing promotion and transition policies on students’ motivation
to learn and equity in access to quality teaching and learning (also a quality and relevance issue)
Need to ensure that students with special education needs can access quality teaching and learning
in the least restrictive school environment
Need to safeguard equity in access and participation for vulnerable groups
Inadequate student learning outcomes
Need to improve teacher supply, development, and management, with less gender imbalance in the
teaching force
Outdated national curriculum and an underdeveloped curriculum development and evaluation
framework
Lack of policies on quality and safety standards for education and training institutions
Underdeveloped student support services at all levels
Weak links between post-secondary and tertiary level programming and labour market needs
Lack of clarity in organizational structure
Need to strengthen leadership and accountability throughout the system
Need to establish and use an evidence base for decision making, including improving EMIS
Need for improved medium- and long-term education planning
Challenges with policy development, coordination, and implementation
Underdeveloped performance assessment system for personnel and institutions
Need for improved financial and human resources management systems
Lack of analysis on effectiveness of financial investments in education
32. The NIA Department of Education mandated a six-week UWI course in Supervisory Management for all primary and secondary public
school principals and deputies in 2015 and GoSKN MoE pursued the same in 2016.