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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Bahamas Information Services Updates
Nassau, The Bahamas – Entrepreneurship is among the 10 new curricula guides which the Department of Education celebrated during its second curriculum launch Thursday, March 3 at the Ivy L. Dumont Building. The other disciplines are: civics, primary mathematics, language arts, primary social studies, primary science, office procedures, carpentry and construction technology, computer studies and biology. Deputy Director Dr. Marcellus Taylor described the day as a Red Letter Day and underscored that the national curriculum is the second most important policy document in the education system, second only to the Education Act.
Officials at the event included the Hon. Zane Lightbourne, Minister of State; Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary; Sharon Poitier, Deputy Director of Education; administrators, teachers and senior education officials. The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical & Vocational Training thanked and congratulated education professionals who she said have worked hard and earnestly to reach today’s milestone. She singled out the leadership of Sharon Poitier and her team of officers.
Minister Hanna-Martin urged parents to offer supplementary support to their children by assuring their child’s attendance at school, that assignments are completed, attendance at parent-teacher conferences and PTA meetings, if possible. “Our government must be prepared to and will prioritize education in the national budget to fuel and facilitate the objectives and more greatly rationalize resources to address classroom size and greater proximity of schools to burgeoning communities,” said Minister Hanna-Martin.
She emphasized that the curriculum must be continuously monitored for positive outcomes and must at all times be contextually relevant to the national reality and global environment. “The curriculum must reflect our national vision and collective values as a developing people who believe that this Bahamas can be and will be with God’s help and by our fervent efforts the finest little country on the face of the earth. “The objective of this process of education delivery must be to create in our precious children and young people critical thinking a, commitment to excellence, an ethical grounding and a proud and confident new generation.”Moreover, Minister Hanna-Martin informed that the new entrepreneurial skills curriculum which will be introduced to students in grades 8 and 9 will provide a solid foundation for further studies in economics and commerce. Coding and development of software will be introduced to students in grades 7-9 as a part of the computer studies curriculum.
Furthermore, the former carpentry and joinery curriculum is being replaced by the carpentry and construction technology subject matter to allow students to acquire more in-depth training in the construction field. She said these innovations are forerunners to what will be an enhanced focus on technical and vocational education and training; the development of which is now actively underway. (BIS Photos/Patrick Hanna)
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