Seven months after the Government launched the School Improvement Programme (SIP) in 25 schools in Morvant and Laventille, Education Minister Anthony Garcia has hailed its positive impact on students in these communities as he said the rate of school drop-outs had declined.
Attributing this to the efforts being made through the SIP to reach students, Garcia said people were more eager to learn as their numeracy and literacy skills had improved.
Declaring the early success of the SIP as he addressed students at the launch of the STEM Lab at Queen’s Royal College, in Port-of-Spain yesterday, Garcia said he was further excited as Shell T&T Limited had pledged to get involved in the initiative.
The SIP is a three-year pilot project in which 20 primary schools and five secondary schools will examine the holistic development of the child and bring together key stakeholders including the ministry, principals, teachers, parents, students, community and corporate partners.
It will focus on four core areas namely, improving student performance; improving physical infrastructure and recreational amenities; encouraging greater parenting and community involvement; and reducing indiscipline and violence in schools.
Heartened by the positive outcomes thus far, Garcia admitted they still had a long way to go.
Acknowledging Shell T&T’s commitment to national development through social performance programmes, Garcia said their sponsorship in the refurbishment of labs at several schools was yet another testament of their willingness to ensure students had the necessary facilities and supplies they required to learn.
Garcia said while the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) labs would go a long way to ensure the ministry’s goals were advanced and achieved, it was also one way to provide students with an opportunity to gain quality education and assure inclusion for all.
Excited that the establishment of such labs would also assist in developing critical thinking skills, Garcia said he often found that this important aspect was lacking in many persons applying for jobs both in the private and public sectors.
He said if the nation was to move forward, this was one area which needed to be developed.
Shell T&T Limited’s vice president, Derek Hudson, reaffirmed his company’s commitment to developing T&T as he said they had realised positive results in the Beetham and Laventille areas via its public safety initiative, in which they had partnered with the ministries of National Security and Education in 2011.
He said their investment in a homework centre at the Beetham Government Primary School along with student-centred programmes in six primary schools in East Port-of-Spain has resulted in significant improvements in the reading levels; greater parental involvement; improved behaviours among students; greater student interest in school activities; and enhanced teacher motivation and participation.
Commending officers of the Inter Agency Task Force who assisted by providing transport for students on evenings, Hudson said they were currently exploring options to extend these programmes within the Morvant/Laventille community.
