Twelve (12) Jamaican teachers pursuing the Masters in Education degree in Science and Mathematics Education at the School of Education, The University of the West Indies, Mona, will be going on a two week visit in May to the University of Reading, Institute of Education in the United Kingdom as part of an initiative to create Champion Teachers of Mathematics and Science.

The “Creating Champions” project is part of a special collaborative agreement which has been signed between the School of Education, Mona and the University of Reading, Institute of Education. Under the terms of the agreement, the Science, Mathematics and Information Technology (SMIT) Centre at UWI, Mona, will collaborate with the University of Reading in implementing the new schools champion programme in Science and Mathematics. The decision to focus on these subject areas comes against the background of the poor performance of Jamaican children in Mathematics and Science. According to the Coordinator of the SMIT Centre, Dr Tony Sewell, “this project aims to give some of the country’s best teachers the chance to be exposed to new techniques and theories in the teaching of Mathematics and Science. The hope is that some of these teachers will become ‘Master’ teachers which means that they will be mentors not only in their own school but spread the practice to other local schools.”

The objectives of the five – year agreement include, but are not limited to, enhancing staff development opportunities; sharing knowledge and skills in areas of competence and increasing education enrichment opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students of  UWI and University of Reading. The agreement will also focus on promoting joint research and collaborative bidding for international projects; advancing knowledge and skills in the area of institutional management in higher education; promoting cultural and educational ties among Caribbean students and professionals in the Caribbean Diaspora and between Caribbean and non-Caribbean students and professionals.  Promoting performance at the highest international standards as well as facilitating intercultural competence will also   feature in the collaborative agreement.

Prior to the departure of the Jamaican group, lecturers from the  University of Reading, led by the Director of the Institute of Education,  Professor Andy Goodwin, visited the UWI, Mona campus during the week of February 22 in order to meet the teachers selected for the programme and assist in their course development and preparation. During their stay at Mona, the British educators also visited a number of secondary high schools, and held discussions with Education officers and academics based in Jamaica. The UK group said it was impressed by the dedication of Jamaican teachers and was happy to be part of a ground breaking partnership with The UWI, Mona.

The University of Reading will provide the Jamaican teachers with a follow-up distance learning course on their return to Jamaica. There will be possibilities for joint research projects between the SMIT Centre and Reading academics, as a direct result of the programme.

Other expected outcomes of the collaboration include the enhancement of performance of teachers and schools from both regions in Science and Mathematics teaching and learning; the development of a significant number of Science, Mathematics and Information Technology advanced skilled teachers able to promote their subjects to a range of schools in their area and the development of on-line resources and opportunities for research projects for UK and Jamaican students. The aim is also to develop a model for further collaboration in Science, Mathematics, Information Technology or any other area deemed appropriate by both parties.