This Report serves to document the goals, targets, achievements and education sector projections of the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The activities, though not necessarily conforming to Education For All – Goals and Targets for 1990 to 2000 are consistent with Regional and International commitments for global developments and does reflect the requirements of Education For All. It is within this context that the following information is presented.

The goals of the Early Childhood Education Development Programme as outlined in The Education Department Five Year Development Plan 1988/93 of the Turks and Caicos Islands are as follows:

• To ensure that the child’s introduction to formal education is pleasant, wholesome, stimulating and enjoyable.
• To provide a planned programme of stimulating experiences to meet the development needs of the child.
• To discover at an early age the special needs of our children and have these addressed.
• To develop a common philosophy for the pre-school.
• To establish a basis for young children to be able to make a smooth transition from pre-school to primary school.
• To provide the necessary facilities and resources financial and otherwise which will facilitate all of the above requirements.
• To set up an Infant Department which would make it possible to meet the needs of the children and encourage teachers to share common goals.

As a continuation and expansion of the policy objectives enunciated in the previous plan, the Five-Year Education Development Plan 1999-2004 aims to:

• To develop an integrated ECECD policy through cooperation with the Departments of Education, Health, Labour and Immigration to provide formal teacher training for all teachers.
• To expand the provision at the Early Childhood level.
• To provide continuous in-service teacher training in methodology and content for all teachers of the early childhood level.
• To provide scholarships to a selected number of teachers to attend regional teacher training programmes.
• To review the K1-K2 curriculum, placing emphasis on a healthy lifestyle.
• To improve levels of supervision of curriculum delivery in order to ensure that acceptable standards of education are maintained.

The Education Department Five-Year Development Plan 1988/93 of the Turks and Caicos Islands outlines the following objectives of the Primary Education Development Programme:

• To review the free-flow system with a view to establishing an improved criterion for promotion to secondary school.
• To prepare a strong cadre of primary school teachers for transfer to secondary school teaching.
• To provide professional and academic training for promising young school leavers recruited into teaching.
• To upgrade physical facilities at all primary schools.
• To improve the quality and quantity of school supplies/equipment and furniture.
• To encourage commitments and high level performance among teachers.
• To improve the working environment of teaching staff.

The Five-Year Education Development Plan 1999-2004 further states that during this plan period, the objectives will be:

• To facilitate further access to Primary Education through the construction of new and the refurbishing of existing school facilities to cater for appropriate class sizes.
• To enrich the professional knowledge and skills of teachers and school managers through the establishment of staff development programmes to ensure an adequate supply of specialist teachers in areas such as English as a second language.
• To review and revise the primary curriculum.
• To improve the learning environment in and around schools so that students and members of the public can take advantage of sporting, cultural and library facilities.
• To facilitate pupil transition from the primary to the secondary level by providing secondary school principals with individual student performance on the Grade Six Achievement Test.
• To expand the cadre of Education Officers to improve the level of school supervision and ultimately the quality of primary education.
• To enable schools to become more responsible for their development.
• To develop a policy/implementation plan for children with special needs.
• To identify children with special needs and provide education appropriate to those needs.
• To effectively deploy teachers trained in Special Education.

The education of children with Learning Disabilities has always been a part of Government’s formal education system. For the Turks and Caicos Islands the Terms of Reference for Special Education include those students with special needs.

The main focus has been on:

• Learning Disabilities,
• Special Physical Disabilities
• Mental Disabilities

The Education Department Five Year Development Plan 1998/93 lists the following goals and targets:

• A comprehensive survey to determine the incidences of physical and mental learning challenges and the extent of their disability in the present school population.
• To encourage voluntary organisations to continue to assist with the provision of education for the physically and mentally challenged.
• To continue to encourage and expand the integration already in place in schools.
• To develop local in-service training and also seek funding for overseas training for those persons required to work with the physically/mentally challenged.
• To liaise with other Governments in seeking information regarding alternatives which are educationally and socially acceptable and financially less taxing.
• To liaise with Medical and Health Departments in devising educational programmes of prevention aimed at the reduction of future cases of the physically and mentally challenged.

The mission of the Ministry of Education, the Turks and Caicos Islands indicates, in part, to:

Within this contextual framework, several tangible outputs will be realised by the year 2002. According to the Education Action Plan (1999) the following activities are targeted:

• Implementation of standardised reading curriculum for primary schools
• To monitor student achievement through the annual administration of standardized tests to pupils in Grades 3, 4 & 5.
• To control pupil flow from Grades 3, 4 & 5 based on pupil mastery of literacy and numeracy to internationally acceptable standards.
• Reduction in the proportion of untrained teachers
• Introduction of teachers to current methodology related to the teaching of mathematics and reading
• Establishment of the cycle of review and revision
• Identification, procurement and distribution of a wide range of textbooks, instructional materials and equipment for each grade and subject.
• Preparation and production of teachers’ guides for each level
• Introduction of National Tests of Standards between Grades 1-4.
• Revision of the Grades Six Achievement Tests in line with the revised curriculum
• Production of local reading material and instructional aids
• Construction, furnishing and equipping of primary school libraries with books and other resource materials
• Revision and introduction of Policy Guidelines for Homework Handbook
• Appointment of Truancy Officers
• Establishment of Annual Parents’ Forum
• Monitoring of the intake of non-national students
• Training of at least one teacher per school in computer literacy
• The introduction of computer assisted learning in all primary schools
• Installation of computer hardware and software in schools for computer-aided
  learning

This government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, through a component of the Education Project has given consideration to Adult Literacy. The preliminary stages of the Adult Literacy Programme are to be delivered through the Turks & Caicos Islands Community College.

During the period under review, the overall objective of the government is to provide pre-vocational education for 4^th & 5^th formers (i.e. the last 2 years of high school) whereby opportunities are presented to provide self confidence to practise basic skills (literacy, numeracy, social and life skills) to continue to make vocational choices, to solve problems, and to work and develop as members of a group as well as self-reliant individuals.

Some objectives of the Pre-Vocational Programme:

• To produce a common framework for a Pre-Vocational course in the 4^th/5^th years of all High Schools
• Within the framework to provide a curriculum relevant to the needs of the majority of pupils
• Within the curriculum to provide programmes to:-

1. Increase basic skills of Literacy/numeracy.
2. In year 3, provide a range of experiences to enable students to make a considered choice of a Vocational/Technical preparatory module.
3. In years 4/5 enable students to develop skills in depth in one vocational area.
4. Increase personal/social skills to enable students to be self confident, self reliant, enterprising individuals able to work in teams to cope in a changing world.
5. Enable students to experience the world of work.

• To assess students’ progress by profiling, recording progress on a record of achievement
• To accredit students’ work via "The School Leaving Diploma" which will be validated by an international organisation such as the Royal Society of Arts
• To provide adequate equipment and resources to deliver the programme
• To develop teachers’ professional skills through In-service Training and through involvement in Curriculum Development

• The dissemination of information pertaining to the social well being of the public.

Broadly speaking, the pre-primary, primary and secondary education programmes share a similar strategic approach towards the provision of a high quality of education for children between the ages of 4 & 16 years.

The main features of the agreed strategy or plan of action, as stated in the 1988/93 Education Department Five Year Development Plan, makes reference to:

• The selection of teaching staff for government schools having the approval of the Education Department
• The registration of all pre-schools with the Ministry of Education
• All Schools meeting specific requirements prior to them being established.
• Pre-school and in-service training of teachers to be monitored by the Education Department.

One of the major strategies deployed during the period under review was the training of all Primary School teachers which was to become mandatory for continuing service in the classroom. As a result, PINSTEP was introduced.

PINSTEP is the acronym for the Primary In-Service Teacher Education Project. This is an ODA funded project which includes the provision of a Technical Cooperative Officer. The project has undertaken a number of initiatives in the areas of teacher development and training. The main components are described below:

• Mixed Ability Teaching in Primary schools
• Teaching Reading in all primary school grades
• The role of the Reading Specialist in Schools
• Teaching in Multi Grade Schools

The main focus of this component has been on the teaching of reading. The purpose of workshops on mixed ability methodology was to introduce teachers to a teaching approach that would be applicable to all subjects and which would take into account all students in the class. It was anticipated that the introduction

of mixed ability teaching techniques would enable teachers to make sensible decisions about grouping and individualization in order to cater to students across the ability range.

This component of the project was designed to encourage teachers to recognize that learning to read is a process of skill development rather than the learning of a series of facts. The importance of reading for meaning was also stressed. A number of alternative methods were presented together with advice for implementation.

The purpose of this aspect of the project was to strengthen the capacity of the reading specialists encouraging them to act as catalysts for the development of effective reading programmes in schools. It was also recommended that they should not allow themselves to be pressured into taking large classes of slow learners because successful remediation programmes are extremely difficult to achieve when classes are too big.

Multi-grade teaching involved three schools. These were Salt Cay, Kew (North Caicos), and Middle Caicos. This aspect focussed on problems relating to multi-grade teaching, developing and presenting appropriate methodologies for multi-grade teaching, and assisting teachers of mathematics and the teachers of multi-grade classes with lesson planning.

The Project has continued to concentrate on the professional development of teachers through school-based workshops and on the development of resource

materials for use in the Primary Schools. These inputs had a positive effect on teacher morale and on teaching skills, thereby leading to enhanced learning opportunities for Primary School students. The Project addressed the educational needs of the lowest achieving 40% of children in the system.

One strategy employed was the upgrading of the existing management structure. In this regard, the Project - Improving Quality & Management On Secondary Schools In The Turks & Caicos Islands (1998) addressed the following:

• Strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Education to plan, implement, monitor and sustain educational change; and to gradually decentralise management and supervision of schools
• Strengthening the management of schools by forming School Management Teams and training them to prepare, implement and monitor School Development Plans
• Developing a succession planning programme to train ‘belonger’ teachers to manage high schools without recourse to employment of expatriate principals
• Providing consultancy to enable English as a Second Language programmes and courses for lower achieving students to be written and resources along with appropriate INSET (In-service Training) through a strengthened INSET Programme and system of school support
• Providing training in teaching and learning strategies including ICT
• Providing books and library resources to facilitate independent learning
• Improving the quality of the environment for learning by replacing two teaching blocks at HJ Robinson High School, expanding teaching space at Clement Howell High School and refurbishing some facilities at the other two High Schools
• Improving partnerships with parents and the community to strengthen school support and reducing emerging negative influences on education through changes in employment and lifestyles
• Evaluating the Pre-Vocational Education curriculum and making recommendations for matching it to the labour market
• Introducing a Curriculum & Evaluation Unit in the Education Department
• Introducing a Test of Standards of primary students, Grades 4 – 6

Administrative training for all persons in administrative positions was another major strategy employed during the period under review. One component was the

training of School Supervisors.

In 1995 a Primary School Principals Workshop was held with the main objectives being:

• To assist Principals in approaches to staff supervision
• To clarify the relationship between the Department of Education and the Ministry of Education and schools
• To give all Principals an opportunity to discuss issues of mutual concern and to share these issues with staff in both the Ministry and the Department

Other strategies used to facilitate universal access to and completion of primary education by the year 2000 included:

• Upgrading of all school buildings
• Increasing the provision of supplies, furniture and equipment to all schools
• The sale of basic textbooks at first cost 50%
• Compulsory attendance of 100% of school hours per term
• Introduction of short language courses for students whose second language is English before entry to Government Schools

The Strategies/Plan of Action used by the Ministry of Education involved:

• Improving the Special Education Unit in Grand Turk by increasing the supply of materials and equipment and providing an additional Specialist Trained Teacher
• Introducing a similar unit in Providenciales
• Expanding the existing facility in North Caicos
• Introduction of Remedial Teaching at South Caicos Primary

Formation of a committee whose duties were :

To make recommendations on screening and assessment of students with special needs

To provide a directory on severity of cases that exist and the location of children involved

To formulate a programme of studies for implementation

Apart from PINSTEP, other strategies for the improvement in learning achievement involved book support and school visits.

In September of 1993, each primary school was provided with a classroom library and given advice on how to operate it. This version of ‘book flood’ was expected to improve reading skills by giving children increased access to appropriate and interesting reading material. The provision of books was accompanied by detailed instructions to teachers on how to make the best use of them.

Strategies included: paired reading, individualised reading programmes, teachers reading aloud to students, using reading to stimulate creative writing, and parental involvement in reading. In addition, teachers were encouraged to design worksheets for use in classes. These were intended to supplement the classroom libraries and were targeted primarily at those students in need of enrichment and remediation.

The provision of reading materials, together with in-service support was expected to impact positively on reading skills of children in Turks and Caicos Island government schools in both the short term as well as the long term.

To facilitate assessment of levels of implementation of new methodology, the Education Officer in charge visited each school at least once a term. During the visit, classroom teachers were questioned about their teaching methods and were reminded of methods introduced in previous workshops. Advice was given on the operation of classroom libraries.

Other strategies supporting achievement in learning included:

• Continuation of the Infrastructure Development Programme for identified schools on the islands
• Expansion of North Caicos and Providenciales High Schools and refurbishing of Science Labs
• Increasing the funds for the provision of furniture and specialist equipment in schools
• Upgrading of a Tech/Voc Curriculum
• Implementation of a Family Life Education Programme
• Improvements of the Guidance and Counselling service
• Implementation of a Healthier Life Curriculum

3. EFA Decision-Making and Management

Although there was no Education For All Committee established for the Turks and Caicos Islands, initiatives concerning education programmes and projects were undertaken by the Ministry of Health, Education, Youth, Sports and Women’s Affairs, which is the primary decision-making body for all matters pertaining to education. They are guided by the recommendations of the Department of Education.

Generally the Department consults with school managers, PTA’s and other stakeholders in education on important educational issues. The Department and the Ministry of Education coordinate all education projects.

At the local level, Principals and Head Teachers are the immediate supervisors in their schools and as such ensure that the goals and objectives of the Ministry are carried out and the entire performance of the school is monitored. At the National level supervision is administered by the Director of Education, the Deputy Director of Education and Primary School Advisors.

Basic education services are primarily provided and financed by the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands through the Ministry of Health, Education, Youth, Sports and Women’s Affairs. Additionally, a number of churches, Non-Government Organisations (NGO’s), Commercial organisations and private individuals are providers of basic education. In a number of instances they are subsidized by the Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG). Media groups (local newspapers, radio and television, sister departments, private sector and donor agencies) also give support to basic education.

International donor agencies have also contributed to Education in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Funds are administered through the Dependent Territories Regional Secretariat (DTRS), others include:

• Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
• European Union (EU)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• Overseas Development Agency (ODA)

In its thrust to constantly improve the quality of basic education, the Turks and Caicos Island Government (TCIG) has made a number of changes in public expenditure in the primary sector. Investments have been made in developing and enhancing schools’ infrastructure (the three primary schools in Providenciales, the fastest growing community, have been extended and refurbished) to modern day standards.

Other investments involved:

• Strengthening the education system by the upgrading of teachers and the development of curricula in Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies and Technical and Vocational Education (PVEP)
• Producing and distributing to fourteen schools (now amalgamated to ten)

Early Childhood Education materials

• Facilitating the PINSTEP Programme
• Revision of the locally developed Social Studies textbook entitled "My Country the Turks and Caicos Islands (1996)"
• Establishing Teacher Resource Centres on three islands
• Employing additional teachers to keep pace with the increases in student

population

• Increasing teachers’ salaries and allowances
• Increasing the vote to facilitate the production of support materials, and the procurement of commercially produced materials to complement

curriculum delivery

• Increasing the opportunities for the training and upgrading of teachers
• Providing computer laboratories in the high schools

Private sector expenditure on basic education has improved, but this has been concentrated on specific islands. Primary Schools on Middle and North Caicos, for example, have benefited tremendously from financial and technical support from two major commercial agencies. One has gone as far as employing a full time Reading Specialist to work between schools. A major Hotel Resort recently adopted one of the primary schools in Providenciales.

During this period, UNICEF provided resource materials for Early Childhood Education although this provision has been discontinued in more recent years.

UNDP has made a sound investment in the Drug Demand Reduction Project.

Major investments in education during the decade 1990-2000 included:

• Curriculum Development
• Teacher Training
• Institutional Strengthening
• Development of learning materials
• Acquisition of school computers and office equipment
• Provision of Typewriters
• Refurbishing of schools identified for upgrading