The Ministry of Education is teaming up with the US Embassy to introduce an Integrated Arts and Technology Project in 16 secondary schools across T&T.
During the launch which took place last Friday at the National Academy for the Performing Arts, Port-of-Spain, officials confirmed it was in keeping with the ministry’s thrust to improve literacy and numeracy among the student population.
Set to be rolled out in 14 secondary schools in Trinidad and two in Tobago, the project will target Form One students in the areas of Mathematics, Science and Language Arts integrating Visual Arts, Music, Drama, Dance, and Information Technology (IT).
The goal of the project is to develop a symbiotic relationship between the arts, technology and the core curricula subjects with an aim to improve student engagement and achievement.
US Embassy’s Public Affairs Officer Stephen Weeks said the project was ideal for T&T as, “Every child has something to offer.”
Committed to working on this and other endeavours, Weeks added, “When we don’t provide every opportunity to a child, they are not able to flourish and that is our loss. We want to see the children of Trinidad and Tobago succeed.”
The Embassy is financing the cost of bringing in a consultant from May 10 to 12, to discuss the way forward for the project.
Among the stakeholders who will be part of the discussions are the principals and the teachers involved in the project, teacher training institutions, the Ministry of Education and the US Embassy.
Curriculum Division Director John Roopchan said, “Science and Math does not exist by itself. All disciplines are integrated in real life and therefore should never be seen as clinically separate.”
The project is set to kick-off in September.
