Education Sector Plan: Education for All: Embracing Change, Securing Finale | Page 38

Education for All: Embracing Change, Securing the Future
effort will be made to improve coordination and collaboration between the MoE and higher education providers at
home and abroad in widening access for citizens. The MoE will continue to implement the Supporting Advancement
of Further Education (SAFE) programme, which provides financial support for students on a needs basis, and will
incentivize learners pursuing higher education in fields of national interest, through scholarships and other means to
be identified during the plan period.
Intermediate Outcome 7: Vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups are able to access quality education at all levels
equally
36
Strategies: To safeguard equity in access to and participation of vulnerable
TARGETS
groups in education, the MoE will collaborate with the Ministry of Social
❚ Improved parity in access and
Development, and other partners, to develop programmes, where necessary,
participation indicators for
and improve the targeting of existing support programmes for vulnera ble
vulnerable and non-vulnerable
groups. For existing programmes, efforts will be made to address errors of
groups
inclusion and exclusion for beneficiaries, as well as any differences in service
offer that negatively impacts or privileges students from a particular island.
Additionally, research will be conducted to identify vulnerable groups that may not be adequately served by the education
system. One programme already identified for development and implementation is teaching English as a Second
Language for non-English speakers in mainstream schools. These strategies will complement existing strategies to
promote equity, described previously.
3.2. Policy Goal 2: Strengthen the quality and relevance of education at all levels
to improve learning outcomes
While increasing access to and participation in
education and training will strengthen the MoE’s
contribution to national sustainable development
efforts, there is an equally critical need to focus on
improving learning outcomes for all. At the primary
level, average performance on the Grade 6 Language
Arts and Mathematics Tests of Standards is 51% and
61%, respectively. At the secondary level, although the
Federation’s pass rate on CXC CSEC exams (79%) is
higher than the regional average (61%), only about 71%
of students take CSEC exams, which indicates that
around 29% of secondary students leave school without
accepted benchmarks of achievement. Of those that sit
CSEC exams, approximately 50% of secondary school Student-led secondary school demonstration lesson in auto
students leave with accepted literacy benchmarks, mechanics.
35% with mathematics benchmarks, and 18% with at least five CSEC passes, including Mathematics and English.
Because the latter comprise the minimum qualifications for many entry level positions in the public and private sector
and for matriculation to the tertiary level, this level of performance is a significant concern. Of equal concern is the
reliance on using CSEC passes as the only valued determinant of success at the secondary level.
Inadequate learning outcomes are linked to several factors that compromise the quality and relevance of the education
system. These include: (i) an out-of-date national curriculum and learning assessment system; (ii) challenges with
teacher supply, demand, and management; (iii) teaching and learning constraints such as: underdeveloped support
services for students, insufficient use of ICT as a value-added pedagogical tool, lack of differentiated instruction, and
the absence of policies on quality and safety standards for institutions, and (iv) weak linkages between the higher and
continuing education offer and labour market needs.
Taking into account these main constraints, the MoE will work toward six intermediate outcomes, organized under three
programme areas, in order to attain the ultimate target of improved and more equitable learning outcomes for all.