The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE country may have to wait awhile to see the results of the “brisk and aggressive” initiatives promoted by new Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd, as he yesterday cautioned that this new administration would have to “learn the lay of the land” before it moves ahead with any new plans or away from any old policies.

Speaking to the press before the new administration’s first Cabinet meeting since being elected, Mr Lloyd again said that education will have to act as the “vehicle” by which overall national transformation would have to come, but again warned that it would take some time.

Mr Lloyd said while “standards” throughout his ministry will have to be “improved,” the wide and expansive aspects of the Ministry of Education and Department of Education will have to be analysed and evaluated within the coming weeks.

“The Free National Movement’s programme and commitment to the Bahamian people is that the transformation of our society will be on the backs of education,” Mr Lloyd said outside the Prime Minister’s office yesterday.

“That is the primary vehicle of transformation. We believe that because the education of our people is the most fundamental obligation and right a Bahamian government.”

Responding to questions on what his appointment could mean for several of the initiatives introduced by the former administration, Mr Lloyd insisted that his office had not made an assessment to date on any of those programmes and policies, adding that it would have to “look at all that is before us”.

During his tenure as minister of education, former Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald introduced a standardised national high school diploma programme; a system of career path academic programmes at the secondary level; and chartered the University of the Bahamas.

Despite these successes, however, his time in the post was marred by criticism over the administration’s inability to make marked improvement to national averages of standardized tests.

When asked specifically about the national high school diploma programme Tuesday, Mr Lloyd said: “We recognised that unfortunately the minimum requirements are not being met by the students who leave school.”

Mr Lloyd continued: “Those requirements for graduation, less than 50 per cent of (students) are in fact meeting those requirements.”

“We believe that has to be improved substantially. Now we are going to go back as a bit. We are going to make formal education available to the earliest of our young people, that is after three years of age.

“So, we have proposed and we are committing to making early childhood education, particularly preschool available to all two-and-a-half to three-year-olds.”

Mr Lloyd’s comments yesterday on what many have already labelled universal pre-school education, a programme discussed and promised by the outgoing Progressive Liberal Party administration, now follows assertions he made last week in which he promoted an end to social promotion policies and the reformation of technical and vocational programmes.

The FNM has maintained that its tenure will be devoted to increasing the investment in education.

Additionally, the party has announced plans to retrain and better equip teachers and other educational professionals; improve educational infrastructure and reduce class sizes.