Six education goals targeted

| 30/10/2012

rolllly 3.jpg(CNS): The government is seeking input from the public at large on its new five year strategic plan, in which it has identified six goals for the future of local education. Launching the public consultation period on his policy, the education minister said he wanted to give everyone a voice in the education system. Officials explained that the strategic goals derive largely from current key priorities in education and are meant to sustain the progress made since the inception of the Education Stabilisation Plan. Leadership, early education, higher standards, skills for learning, life and work, safer schools and parents' engagement are the six goals on which the reform of the education system will be based.

“I want everyone to have their say in our education reform and to ensure that the Strategic Plan fits our needs as a country,” Rolston Anglin stated Monday.  “During the consultation, I encourage everyone to fill out the survey … so that we can hear what you think our education system needs to make it better.  If you think your point is minor, we still want to know about it as it may be something crucial that we have overlooked and need to include in the plan.”

This plan, which is now in the third phase of consultation, will be the road map for improving the local education system over the next five years, and according to the chief officer in the education ministry, reflects feedback from a range of focus groups over the last two months.

“There were 13 groups in all, with some 218 participants and some 44 survey participants. As this plan is a transition from the January 2011 Education Stabilisation Plan, it also draws on the feedback from hundreds more of our educators and parents who helped to shape that earlier plan,” Mary Rodrigues said.

Although the usual stakeholders have been involved in the consultation so far, Rodrigues said  that this time students were also involved as well as teachers and parents.

“Too often strategic plans for education are developed just by adults deciding what is in the best interests of our students. We spoke with students from primary schools, CIFEC, the Passport2Success Programme, and the Youth Assembly,” she said. “They were engaged, insightful and ready to share their views on what matters to them, and how we can make things better.”

The plan originally started out with five strategic goals but grew to six after consistent feedback that parent involvement needed its own separate goal statement.

Officials said that a detailed implementation structure has been developed to ensure that the plan translates into results, but now the wider public needed to have its say to make sure nothing important has been missed and to make sure the key elements to improvethe system have been captured.

The public consultation will run for two weeks, ending on Friday 9 November. Anyone who wishes to find out more about the changes that will take place and to give their feedback should visit www.education.gov.ky or email educationreform@gov.ky. Here you will find the draft strategic plan along with other supporting documents and the survey, which the ministry wants as many as possible to complete.

See draft plan here.

Take part in the survey here.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    SHAME I SAY!

    How can ANY child go to school for 15+years and not know how to read or write??

    SHAME on the education system and the parents!!

     

  2. Anonymous says:

    Ahhm – What school do his children – and the chief officers +MLAs attend?

    If the public schools are so good, then bring these kids over!

    OR are you waiting for the new school Dart is to build you?

    God give us Grace

  3. Chris says:

    Rolston, you need to evacuate immediately!

    The steam ship UDP is on the reef and taking on water rapidly.

    Everyone else with clear vision has left the sinking ship.

    There is no future in going down with a destroyed vessel.

    Live to sail another day.

    Get out of the UDP now!

    • Anonymous says:

      What a pile of  #%^….

      You say this is a NATIONAL PLAN – but you give us only 5 working days to look at it and give feedback????

      Whatever – someone must be high in the building

  4. Anonymous says:

    Why bother with alcohol awareness education? The bars are full all weekend and several nights a week with "parents" who have left their children home so they can drink. Parents need to lead by example.

    And why so much jibber jabber about female students who graduate pregnant? Where is the outrage at the 20, 30 & 40 year old men who prey upon them, and the deadbeat parents who don't seem to care?

  5. Anonymous says:

    Why would anyone want to inject a fresh set of new ideas and life into an entrourage that has clearly shown they are incompetent to create any of their own substative ideas,  unless that idea somehow allows them to only give credit to thier little regime to continue to  insure thier job security.

    Let them sow what they have reaped: isolated religuous regimes in the educational system and failure. Bring in a more objective and secular crowd that will care about creating a learning environment.

    My only fear in posting this will be to hear the current culture of managerial double speak warp the phrase "creating a learning environment" , similar to the process when you hear a "christian scientist" attempt to warp a new scientific discovery into a proof for the legitiamacy of the bible. 

    • Anonymous says:

      What a mess. Learn to spell and we might think that you are really interested in education. 

      • Anonymous says:

        Learn how to rebuttal instead of bringing somebody down do your superficial level.

        • Anonymous says:

          Learn how to tell the difference between nouns, like "rebuttal", and verbs, like "rebut", otherwise you will just keep digging a hole for yourself.

          • Anonymous says:

            Still trying  to weasel out of addressing the pointe…thats ok, whats to be expected from somebody who has nothing to say -all form, no substance. I guess your continued avoidance  is proof that my observation stands trrue. 

            I added a few errors above in case your ADD starts to kick in and you start to get tired of comprehending and would rather regress to 3rd grade grammatical details. I hope that helps with your problem. Take Care.

            • Anonymous says:

              Pretending to insert “deliberate” errors! You’re cleverer than I thought. Now just point them out to us please. Sorry, what’s that? You can’t?

        • Anonymous says:

          Wow. It gets worse. It seems you find it difficult to construct a proper sentence.

        • Anonymous says:

          So you think when it comes to education correct spelling and sentence construction are superficial matters? It seems that you are part of the problem, not the solution.

        • Anonymous says:

          It’s a reflection of our times when education measures are proposed by an illiterate.

      • Anonymous says:

        The writer may not have spelt all his words correctly but he clearly knows how to write. What about you? I

  6. Anonymous says:

    Vocational training is needed badly, in many fields, or at least the basics of those so that the kids that want to can get to college and get the needed qualifications, and those that cannot can become mechanics or electricians or plumbers or hairdresser or nurse or whatever…never seen a poor plumber nor electrician, always a need..

  7. Anonymous says:

    Add a 7th goal for the advancement of education Rollie – resign as minister of education, step down from Cabinet and, while you’re at it, take the rest of those carpet-bagger colleagues of yours and all of your caucus roaches and march into the sea. Then, and only then, will the children of this country have a hope for the future.

  8. Anonymous says:

    There is a generation of children raising itself. Parents/adults do not feature in their lives – they are either absent, uninvolved or without the wherewithall to provide safe, structured and loving homes for their offspring. Their children are lost – raised in front of reality television, acquiring their moral fiber from rap or dancehall stars, gangsta culture and unrestricted internet sites. We can’t blame them. They are the effect; we are the cause.

    We can set the loftiest of educational goals and build all sorts of shiny classrooms, but if a child is being neglected – if his/her physical or emotional needs are going unmet, if home is a battleground where disrespect and ignorance rule, how can that child be expected to embrace academics? If s/he does not feel safe, how can s/he learn the basics let alone have his/her mind blown by quantum physics or fall in love with metaphysical poetry? Look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – are our children’s needs being met?

    Ask any teacher the reality of the lives that the children in their care face. Rich kids at private schools who are raised by nannies too afraid to discipline and set boundaries – they barely see their parents but have lots of ‘things’ so they must be loved, right? Enrolled in back-to-back activities, they are primed for success, drilled to become money-makers, highflying corporate bosses just like their parents. But what of their dreams… following their talents? Kids self medicating on weed, alcohol or… whatever… their lives so hellish, it’s easier to numb it all. Impoverished, abused, neglected… discarded. And we think new educational initiatives will magically transform our young ones? Or maybe we should set up more church youth clubs… Or offer more scholarships for young Caymanians to become lawyers and accountants… Anything but invest in vocational training. That would be too unthinkably…….. un-academic. AND ALL CHILDREN WILL BE ACADEMIC IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.

    Call me old fashioned, but we need to start talking. Let’s start talking about teen pregnancy – about babies having babies. Let’s start asking where the men are and if they are contributing emotionally and financially to the lives of their children. Let’s look at why kids are drinking at Aqua Beach on fake IDs or getting stoned behind the Skate Park. Let’s talk about the simmering racism in our divided society – about our values or lack thereof. Let’s try to understand why our boys are killing themselves (and others) on the roads and why the police are paper tigers. For the sake of this lost generation, let’s stop the denial and break down the facade. It’s time for truth. For dialogue. Our children are telling us loud and clear. Will we have the courage to listen without prejudice? We owe them that, surely?

    • Anonymous says:

      How can the Minister of Education address parental responsibility when a major parenting problem in Cayman is excessive drinking by fathers?

  9. Anonymous says:

    You people are hateful!! What about offering some good input instead of interfering in people's  personal business.  I also noticed a writer's comment that we ar one generation late.  I will add to that- we are three generation late. 

  10. Thunder Storm says:

    For 16 years the present Education Minister shouted "education is my #1 priority" from his

    platform.

    He did NOTHING until he was FORCED to continue what Alden McLaughlin had started.

    He had NO other CHOICE but to continue with the education plans he inherited in 2009.

    T I M E was the ONLY factor that got him started on his 16 year old prpmise.

    NOW, what he is proposing, in my opinion, is ONLY a political gimmick to try to sway voters

    for 2013.

    I've been made to understand that CG will not be running in the upcoming election.

    I hope and pray this Education Minister will follow suit. 

    We seriously need MLA's with dignity, respect, honor and integrity, and strong family values.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Polishing a turd does not do much for anyone.

    The education system of Cayman has fallen very short of all decent standards, moral and educational. Yes I know that one or two kids will win loads of prizes at Graduation Day, but what about the other 500?

    Anyway, I'm tired of complaining. I am going to open my own school. It will be called, "Faith, Hope & Love."

    Laugh at me, but with those three attributes under our belts, we would reach excellence in the academics. Call me a dreamer. You are right.

    • Anonymous says:

      Dreamer.

    • Anonymous says:

      Using potty language doesn’t somehow legitimise a weak argument. Faith, hope and love get you nowhere educationally except wishy-washy meaningless Obama-land. I repeat: the basic pillars are reading, writing (including grammar and spelling) and arithmetic; always have been, always will be. And without those being drilled into them from inception, huge numbers of Cayman’s youngsters in the public schools will remain the lost generation.

      It looks like a few posters should brush up on theirs too.

  12. Unpopular Truths.. says:

    I'm a student who has passed through the public system, and now integrated into Cayman Prep (private school). From my point of view, it's not just the system that needs adjustment. It's also the quality of parenting of some parents of those in the public system. Want to know why? I was walking home, in my school uniform, and one boy on the John Gray bus shouted this to me: "you're white trash and got it easy", and the rest of the kids on the bus laughed, as if they were in agreement. 

    It's just ignorance. Why are children being raised to judge before knowing a person's real identity? Assumptions as such aren't exactly applaudable in our society.  Why is it that because I go to a private school that (some) people believe I am wealthy and have everything fed to me with a platinum spoon? For the most part, how a child acts in public is a reflection of his or her parents. 

    And wealth definitely has no correlation to the grades you receive at school. You put the effort in, you obtain the results you want. Some of you will disagree, but, I personally know some kids who are of the lower socio-economic profiles at Prep and are the top in their class academically. There are also kids who do not perform well in private schools too – they do exist – and its because of lack of effort. 

    It's not just the system, and the parenting – it's also the student's attitude. I believe that if any of you readers on this site were invisible and witnessed a day in the life at any of the public schools that you will be disgusted by how they conduct themselves and treat fellow students and faculty. It's shocking.  Take it from someone who begged their parents to switch out so I could have a better shot at succeeding because I wasn't in an environment where the majority wanted to try. It's difficult to survive and succeed when you're surrounded by kids who don't care enough about school, or just disrupt classes – because it affects everyone's learning.

    • Anonymous says:

      Very well said!!!  Your future is bright !!! 

      Parents take note, she / he definately has hit the nail on the head.  This not only applies to high school students but also to elementary students.  One would be very surprised to see the "attitudes" and behaviour of some of the elementary students.

       

    • Anonymous says:

      This well written post confirms some anecdotal comments that I have heart from both parents and students.

    • Truth says:

      Sounds like you are getting an real education that you can use to have a great responsible life thanks to your parents.  The  bus kids are not and will not thanks to theirs.  Life will be a hard lesson for them and a great adventure for you.  That will be the real difference.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Got to get new glasses!!!!

    I just read your headline as 'Sex education goals targeted'. LOL!!!!!

     

    • Anonymous says:

      Don't laugh.

       

      Sex and relationship education is sorely needed given the number of unwanted babies that are born to young, single women.

      • Annie get your gun says:

         Sad to say, but the problem in Cayman's schools isn't unwanted pregnancies among these teenage girls, but that it appears to be planned for the most part.

         How many girls have been seen graduating public high school here in the Cayman Islands in the last 3 years while visably pregnant? At one Graduation alone, I was informed that there were no fewer than five (5). SHOCKING !!

         I have 2 stepkids in public school here, and the stories that are relayed to us about the lack of discipline, direction and oversight of these childrens' education, disturbing public sexual behavior, drug use on campus, students unable to study their chosen subjects because of a lack of teachers, and even students who (get this one) CANNOT GRADUATE even though they have complete their O'level Exams because the Ministry basically screwed-up whatever hair-brained idea they came up with. 

         So these kids must now spend a year in Private school or some other hair-brained Govt. school program, because without a High School Diploma, they can't get into College or University, even though they have completed their final year of formal secondary schooling.

         I wonder which idiot came up with this idea?

         

      • Anonymous says:

        True. But remember that this comment applies to many other places on this earth. It is not just a Cayman issue.

      • Anonymous says:

        anon 1651 I trust you are in cluding the parents as  well. A lotof the problems lie with them.

      • Anonymous says:

        Or an abortion law that improves the lot of women in Cayman and would ultimately reduce violent crime.

  14. Truth says:

    As can be seen by the post and everything else that is happening those in charge have lost the respect and backingof those who expected to be represented.  They have done as bad a job as anyone can do and still have a job.  Hopefully the voters on the island have learned from their mistakes of the past.

    • Anonymous says:

      This is too late! Election is next year. We always knew that the children ran the department and not the adults. Let us pray!

  15. Anonymous says:

    As always it's not in the plan, it's in the execution. Smart teachers are the key.

  16. Jumbles says:

    What a load of nonsense the plan is.  There are clearly things that would make a difference – bringing in more middle class parents into the public system is the one that would be more important than anything else.  Spouting nonsense phrases like "Promote the Caymanian cultural heritage" is simply going to scare sane parents away.

    • SSM345 says:

      For real, as if "promoting caymanian culture" is going to prepare these kids for employment, unless ofcourse they are considering entering the thatch rope business.

      • Anonymous says:

        If a child is in education for 12 years, what they are taught for the 15 minutes necessary to cover these issues is hardly going to make a difference to anything.  I never had any "heritage" teaching in my schooling.  And that was in a country that had a meaningful heritage, not a forced one to pander to quasi-nationalism.  If there is heritage one learns of it by growing up in a country, not by forced feeding of the joys of rope making and turtle catching in school.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Education does not require modern, comfortable schoolsfilled with the latest equipment and computers, to succeed.

    Many of us were educated in primitive schools, as many as eight grades in one room, and out house toilets. Yet, we
    learned anyway, and went on to earn university degrees. I was a student in one of those schools and I thought it was
    great. I was never bored because I could listen to what was being taught to the higher grades.

    Forget the buildings. Learning requires hard work, both from teachers and students.
    What is largely missing today is hard work, particularly on the part of the students.

    Any and all attempts to make learning easy have failed and will continue to fail.
    So let's start telling our students the truth. Learning is hard and you have to work
    hard before you can expect any results.

     

  18. NeoSurvivor says:

    These are admirable goals, albeit couched in nonspecific language.   So admirable, that I wonder why we would need a poll to determine if the people supported it.    Everyone who's against improvements in education, please stand up….

     

    Forgive my scepticism ……..  is this more about future campaign claims and promises, or boots-on-the-ground measurable restructuring of our educational system? 

     

    There's little doubt in my mind that for The Cayman Islands to be competitive even upon her own shores, education must upgrade and improve.    I remain hopeful that my thoughts are merely my own cynicism and that this administration truly wishes to produce a viable plan for effectively improving the system, and not just garnering line items for budgetary expenditures.  

     

  19. Anonymous says:

     "the education minister said he wanted to give everyone a voice in the education system "

    Transaltion;  I have no idea what I am doing so someone please tell me.

    "another round  of drinks please?"

  20. Anonymous says:

    “I want everyone, hic, to have their say in our education reform and to ensure that they get their round in,” Rolston Anglin stated Monday.  “During the consultation, I encourage everyone to fill their glasses so that we can hear what you think our education system needs to make it a bitter.  As I said to those two men over there.  Oh there is only one of you?  I thought your were fuzzy twins.  Anyway, if you think your pint is minor, we still want to know about it.  I will be holding public meetings every weeknight in my office, sorry, The Office. After that I will be offering a lift home to anyone who, hic, wants it.”

  21. Say Wha says:

    HuH – Say Wha?

    1.  The Minister of Education is up on Drinking and Driving Charges…

    2.  His Bodden Town buddy was arrested in relation to an alleged assault and later acquitted of the charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice…

    3.  The good Premier is under three different investigations and cannot be found as he is travelling the universe…

    4.  The Deputy Premier has some questions to answer relating to paved driveways…

    yet, the best they can come up with is to reform Education for the 90th time in 4 years?  Instead of reforming education they ought to reform themselves…  Just a thought.

  22. Anonymous says:

    I’ve got six more: reading, writing and arithmetic, and reading, writing and arithmetic.

  23. Anonymous says:

    a generation too late……..

  24. Anonymous says:

    Is there education on alcohol abuse?

    • Anonymous says:

      Our education system will change on 13 November 2012 this is 7 days after the USA elections.

  25. Anonymous says:

    goal one…… the children are given an education minister they can look up to as a roll model and setgood examples and leadership qualities.

  26. Anonymous says:

    Terrific theoretical stuff ( yes, I am an educator and I looked at the Plan), with all the necessary management jargon about "strategic this and strategic that" XXXX. But what happened to the original Strategic Plan for Education done by Joy Basdeo as Chief Officer and Truman Bodden as Minister plus hordes of parents, kids and teachers in the early 1990s? There was good stuff in that too but many teachers, as in ALL countries, hummed and hawed about it because it transgressed on the holy territory of what they do themselves with their kids in the classroom. After all. "we are the experts, we know what is right for our students". Plus, certain naysayers said because it was politically inspired it must be wrong – an odd view since where do we go if politics does not encourage us to make changes, Oops, sorry, I forgot, this is Cayman. In Cayman we dump plans faster than water off a whistling duck's ass, especially when governments change. Watch this Plan, especially if Rollie hits the dust at the next election. Ah so it go.

    • The Truman Years says:

      Ah yes, the good old Truman years, right around the time it all started to horribly wrong….

    • Richard Wadd says:

      WRONG !!

       In Cayman we WASTE precious Time and resources in a constant and futile quest to "Re-invent the Wheel" at every possible point, in every possible way, regardless of whether the system needs fixing or not.

       WHY are we (again) trying to Re-invent the Education system of these islands at the Cost of our childrens' future?

       The British system is Good and provides children with a well rounded and Internationally recognised and accepted carriculum.

       To a greater extent, so does the International Baccalaureate, while the American systems (ex. WASC) are recognised as being slightly inferior.

       Forget the Caribbean system, as it falls further behind all the others every year, even now reaching the point where it is no longer accepted at face value by some higher-level Universities.

      At the end of the day, our childern don't have time to be the Guinea-pigs in mis-guided experiments with our Education system.

      Adopt an already tested, tried and proven system, and stop conducting pointless experiments with our children's future.

      • Anonymous says:

        Can you site by name whcih "higher-level Universities" don't accept CXC? otherwise … Troll!

    • Anonymous says:

      17.53 This is how it always goes in Cayman: get the public involved  and create an inclusive report, the result of hundreds of hours voluntary  work. Then place the report on a shelf, and every decade blow the dust off. Result?  You've  given the public the illusion they were participants in the planning process, then, when they realize it was all a scam, they won't bother to help out again, so two problems are solved: keep the people happy and then get them off your back.

       

      Have you ever bothered to read the Giglioli Report, the Wickstead Report, The Master Ground Transportation Plan, Vision 2000 and  Vision 2008? I have, and if 5% of what was recommended by the many contributors had been implemented, these islands would be in brilliant shape. Our failure is a result of  corruption, cronyism, greed, ignorance and a lack of moral leadership. The  tragedy is, there's no obvious alternative to more of the same. Even such in-your-face scams as Gasboy haven't been properly  addressed. The money  stolen each year from this alone is enough to build four affordable houses and give them away free to the needy.

  27. Anonymous says:

    If Caymanians want to remain in control of the Cayman Islands, then improving the local education system is a mandatory part of the solution.

    • Anonymous says:

      Rollie, why don't you look at St. Ignatious and Cayman Prep. they have got it sorted. And while you are at it, throw in some seminars on DUI and its effects.

      • Anonymous says:

        What St. Ig and Cayman Prep have in abundance is professional middle class parents.  Time and time again studies shows that a high proportion of parents in this category is the most important factor in the performance of a school. 

      • Sub Title says:

        How can you possibly try to compare a selective school system with one that, rightly, cannot refuse entry to any child. If the government school system was driven by an agenda that sought to weed out the 'troublemakers' then maybe they too would be able to claim that they had "got it sorted". I think that the Cayman Islands have every right to be proud of their private school system, they achieve a great many things. But the two systems here, ( or anywhere else for that matter) are simply not comparable.

        • Anonymous says:

          You are, of course, right.  It's a problem in comprehensive schools everywhere — because enrollment is open and obligatory for everyone, they have to deal with a much higher percentage of students who really do not care to learn.  I do appreciate that schools must provide a place for everyone, but I often wonder what message we are passing to our children about education when every troublemaker in a pair of navy trousers is allowed — and even obliged to accept — entry. When I bought my dog, the breeder explained her high prices by saying, "People value what they pay for," and I think she is right.  Things and experiences are valued when they are expensive and rare.  Public education, here and elsewhere, is "free" (I use quotation marks because of course it is not technically free, but paid for by taxes, either direct or indirect) and all are obliged to attend.  As a result, many of our students perceive education as undesirable, unworthy or their efforts.  Keep in mind that education, unlike most of the immediately gratifying media/food/entertainment/communication/goods our young people consume, requires a postponement of fulfillment.  They have to believein its worth over the long term in order to benefit from it at all.  

          Cheap and constantly available access + delayment of gratification = what?