The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

WITH nearly 50 per cent of high school seniors qualifying only for leaving certificates, Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald says officials are currently working to correct the deficiencies of the system.

He further told The Tribune that the Ministry is eyeing a 2017 implementation date for the standardised diploma. This is a new deadline as last year June Mr Fitzgerald said the initiative would come on stream by June 2016.

According to Mr Fitzgerald yesterday, the government is restructuring the administration of education in the Bahamas which he hopes will not only improve literacy, but improve the national grade point average.

A full roll out of the plan is expected before the next budget cycle, he said.

“Our focus,” said Mr Fitzgerald, “is going to be on making sure that when kids leave school they are literate and able to function outside of the school environment.  We want to make sure that we have the requirements necessary for that which will come with the implementation of the standardised high school diploma which we intend to announce early next year. 

“And 2014 would see the enrolment of the first set of students who fall under the standardised high school diploma. So we expect that in 2017 it would be the first year of that.

“I think it has had an affect on our ability to have a skilled work force and to some extent it has had an impact on crime.”

The education system, Mr Fitzgerald said is facing a number of challenges which have had an affect on the overall success of the average student.

They include how data is measured which has facilitated an achievement gap. He added that there needs to be an improvement of the level of leadership in the schools with principals and senior administrators.

“We need to continue to train and ensure that teachers are up to date with their training. Which is why we are instituting the professional development institute at Mable Walker. And we need to get parents more involved in the education of the kids. So its multi-pronged. We are developing strategies to make sure that we address all of those at the end of the day,” Mr Fitzgerald said.