Trinidad and Tobago

In the annual revision of the programme, six Social Sciences teacher educators explored the experiences of their teacher-participants to ascertain whether such experiences were aligned with the objectives of the Social Sciences curriculum sessions. Through the interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA), the researchers collaboratively explored the views on how 14 teacher-participants, who volunteered to take part in the research, experienced the programme. Using a semi-structured interview protocol, two focus group interviews were conducted simultaneously at the end of the programme. Interviews were transcribed by the teacher educators who also met as a team to undertake the coding exercise done inductively through the application of the constant comparison method of Glaser and Strauss (1967) to arrive at the themes. The findings show that teachers’ experiences were aligned with the session objectives especially with respect to learnings on the nature of their discipline, developing skills for teaching diverse learners, becoming responsible for self-development as teachers. Such learnings seem to indicate a positive change in praxis and professional identity. The recommendations made would lead to a review of the session objectives for the Teaching of Social Sciences in the Dip. Ed. programme for future cohorts.

The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in keeping with its national development agenda, has initiated a process to build a seamless and sustainable education system. As referenced by (Ashton and Pujadas 2004), Seamlessness refers to the openness and responsiveness of various levels of education and training. Developing a pre-school to tertiary level seamless system necessitates the development of a long term perspective on human resource development and a radically new view of knowledge throughout our society.

The ECCE Division, operating within the administrative structure of the Ministry of Education, is charged with the leadership responsibility for achieving the seamless vision from ECCE to Primary. On the one hand, the ECCE Division is guided by the core Vision of Excellence in Education, The Ministry of Education Corporate Plan ( 2008-2012), The Education White Paper (1993-2003),the White Paper on the National Policy on ECCE – Standards for Regulatory Early Childhood Services and National Early Childhood Care and Education Curriculum Guide. Within the context of the core vision, the Corporate Plan has identified three Strategic Priorities:

a) Focus on Schools.

b) Change the Ministry.

c) Involve the Community.

On the other hand, building on the directional themes and the three Strategic Priorities of the Corporate Plan, the ECCE Division has developed a compatible Vision and Mission. The ECCE Vision is that quality education in a centre and community focused programme of early childhood development is to be achieved with improved access and equity to engage all children in the educational endeavour. In translating that Vision to Action, The Mission has incorporated these fundamental tenets:

a) Child-centred and quality curriculum.

b) Alliances and partnerships with the community.

c) Continuous professional development.

d) Involvement of parents.

From a practical perspective, this institutional strengthening initiative is significant and has far reaching consequences for the ECCE Division as it provides leadership to the integration of this economic, social and educational policy. The effective implementation of this initiative will, most likely, place added pressure on the potential Division's expanded role, as a coordinating and network centre. At the outset, it must be emphasized that the building of a team leadership culture within the ECCE Division is critical to the success of this initiative. As a result, serious consideration must be given to the implementation of the recommendations within the (Moore Report, 2010), particularly those that deal with leadership development and strategic thinking. 

The complexity of the relationship between care, early learning and primary education is a critical public education challenge. Moving forward will require ongoing collaboration, sustained financial and political support to ensure that trained staff, appropriate standards and facilities are developed and monitored. In a nutshell, collaboration, effective partnerships, political will and commitment become the hallmark of its successful implementation.

The words “collaboration”, “co-operation” and “partnership” appear frequently within the Report. They give direction to the fundamental principle of co-determination. The concept of co-determination suggests that, through effective collaboration among key stakeholders, ensuing plans will be based on mutual agreement and therefore more likely to be implemented. In this operational climate, dysfunctional relationships are replaced by effective leadership, transparency and compromise. To that end, it is hypothesized that the successful implementation of plans to achieve the goal of a smooth and seamless transition from ECCE to Primary will require the resolving of perceived differences on child readiness, within the context of a philosophy of child-centred pedagogy and a continuum of learning.

In the final analysis, the successful implementation of plans to achieve a seamless transition from ECCE to Primary will depend on the extent to which there is tangible commitment and support to the ECCE Division, so that it can provide effective and strategic leadership and management to these major challenges:

•Maintaining learning and care quality, building human resource capabilities and 

capacities and improving the learning, technological and facilities infrastructures;

•Developing synergistic and strategic partnership relationships with the Primary sector;

•Providing collaborative leadership to the development of a shared vision. Both the qualitative and quantitative evidence suggest that there are two options for addressing the concept of a seamless transition from ECCE to Primary: (i) continue to perpetuate the current system which, by design, is incongruent with the concept of seamlessness, or (ii) redesign the current system grounded in an early learning framework that is based on a continuum of learning competencies supported by a seamless curriculum.

Clearly, the economic, social and educational priorities are interdependent. We cannot have seamless access without reviewing the educational philosophy. We cannot have an inclusive society without “leveling the playing field” for all early learners; therefore, the status quo is not the answer. In addition, there is conclusive research evidence that suggests that the smooth and effective transition from ECCE to Primary is a fundamental requirement for the start of a successful educational experience. As Logie (1997) so aptly states, placing early childhood at the forefront of the seamless reform ensures that children will start primary school with more advantages and more equal opportunities.

There is growing concern worldwide about the level of achievement of boys. There is such research published on the gender gap in educational achievement in which girls seem to be outperforming boys. It was against this backdrop that this consultancy was conducted.

The overall purpose of the consultancy was interpreted to be the generation of strategies to correct the perceived underperformance of boys in the school system in Trinidad and Tobago, particularly at the primary level. Such strategies were to be arrived at after certain preliminary work had been undertaken, viz:

• A review of pertinent literature and pertinent government policy documents

• A statistical analysis of the performance of boys throughout the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, with information on the early childhood sector provided where available

• An analysis of steps that are being taken in some schools to deal with the issue

• An analysis of Ministry of Education curricula and testing materials for gender bias with respect to boys‘/girls‘ achievement

• An analysis of the level of implementation in schools of relevant strategies as outlined in government documents

• Consultation with significant stakeholders

Further, the terms of the consultancy stipulated that recommendations were to be made for appropriate library resources and appropriate teacher professional development programmes that could assist in achieving the goal of enhanced performance levels by boys.