Executive summary
( i ) attracting and retaining suitably qualified candidates , ( ii ) the deployment and utilization of teachers , ( iii ) professional development , and ( iv ) quality assurance and accountability mechanisms .
Other factors that undermine high-quality teaching and learning include : ( i ) an outdated national curriculum and assessment framework , ( ii ) insufficient policies on quality and safety standards for education and training institutions , ( iii ) underdeveloped student support services , and ( iv ) weak links between higher and continuing education and labour market needs .
Governance , finance , and management
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The 2005 Education Act and supporting legislation provide a strong regulatory framework for the sector . It is also recognized that management practices in a small state are necessarily more flexible than in larger contexts , due to the multi-functional roles administrators must play . Nonetheless , efficiency and effectiveness in the sector have been hindered by several governance constraints . There is limited strategic capacity in the Ministry , as evidenced by : ( i ) a fragmented approach to policy development , coordination , and implementation ; ( ii ) insufficient medium to longterm resource planning ( human , financial , and material ); and ( iii ) an underdeveloped and underutilized Education Management and Information System ( EMIS ) to drive evidence-based decision making . Additionally , leadership and accountability need strengthening throughout the system . An unclear organizational structure and lack of up-to date job descriptions has contributed to role confusion among officers . Performance assessment systems for Ministry and school personnel as well as institutions are underdeveloped and in need of standardization . There has been insufficient exposure to leadership and management training , and at the school level the role and functioning of management teams , student councils , and parent-teacher associations vary significantly . In terms of financing , there is a need to better capture the level of external and household contributions to education as well as improve monitoring of expenditure on budget objectives and policy priorities .
Policy goals and strategies
In response to key policy issues , the plan puts forward three overarching policy goals supported by six programme areas , within which dedicated strategies have been devised .
Policy goals
I . Improve equitable access to and participation in education at all levels
II . Strengthen the quality and relevance of education at all levels to improve learning outcomes
III . Enhance governance , planning , and management to improve efficiency and effectiveness throughout the sector
Programme areas 1 . Access and participation
2 Curriculum and assessment 3 . Quality and relevant teaching and learning 4 . Professionalizing the teaching force
5 . Knowledge management for decision making 6 . Leadership and accountability
Cross-cutting themes central to achieving all three policy goals include the need for : ( i ) policy development , ( ii ) Information and Communication Technology ( ICT ) integration as a value-added pedagogical and management tool , ( iii ) increased focus on equity in education , and ( iv ) TVET as a driving and valued force in education sector development .
Strategies to improve equitable access to and participation in education at all levels include :
❚ increasing the number of ECD spaces in a combination of public and private assisted centres , and strengthening early stimulation and education training for home-based providers ;
❚ increasing retention in secondary school by implementing enhanced student support services , expanding secondary level programming , and enacting regulations to prohibit a Form 4 ‘ school leaving group ’;
❚ providing all students with access to TVET competencies ( e . g . problem solving , teamwork ) throughout compulsory education , and implementing the 2016 – 2020 Caribbean Development Bank and MoE TVET Enhancement Project to develop a high-quality , relevant , and gender-responsive TVET system in St . Kitts and Nevis ( SKN ) that is in high demand ;
❚ assessing the influence of streaming and automatic promotion on equity in access to quality teaching and learning ;
❚ strengthening the regulatory framework for special education and equipping schools with the infrastructure and resources to better serve special needs students ;