Education Sector Strategic Plan: 2011 – 2015

Govt. of T&T MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

The development of this medium-term Education Sector Strategic Plan, covering the period October 2011 to September 2015, is a significant step in the transformation of the education sector in Trinidad and Tobago. The Plan reflects the national education development agenda as well as the commitments to regional and international prerogatives in the achievement of the Education For All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals (MDG). This is significant as it enables the country to align itself with its regional and global neighbours in the pursuit of the common goal of equitable quality education for all.

Anchored in the first of the seven (7) interconnected developmental pillars of the new government, the Ministry has begun to take steps towards re-orientating its strategic initiatives with a stronger focus on the education and development of the children of the nation. In 2010, with the support of an external consultant, it conducted a strategic assessment to determine the extent to which the Ministry’s operations were aligned with the new government’s policy directions. The assessment produced a strategic assessment report and a strategy report which articulated the Ministry’s new transformation approach.

The process also led to the crafting of a new Vision and Mission - embodying the aspirations and goals of education. Another key development in the Ministry is the creation of a set of Value Outcomes for the children of the nation, which establishes the characteristics of the children that the education system is expected to produce. These various statements collectively define the new policy direction of the Ministry. The Plan identifies three (3) major goals that aim at enhancing and consolidating efforts in the on-going pursuit of improved access, equity and quality of education for improved student outcomes.  

These are:

(1) Design and develop a quality education system

(2) Transform the Ministry into a modern high-performing organization

(3) Engage stakeholders in the change and transformation process

In support of these goals, the Ministry has further identified sixteen (16) priorities that must be addressed through to 2015 (see Table 1). These have been incorporated into the overall plan of the Ministry. The Plan also embodies strategies that will ensure collaboration of the Ministry with its stakeholders in the transformation of the education system. They include, inter alia:

1. Creating or setting the legislative framework to support the education and development of children

2. Designing a quality education and development system that includes,

a. Strengthening school supervision and support systems

b. Achieving Universal ECCE

c. Institutionalising School-Based Management (SBM)

3. Developing and sustaining institutional capability and capacity at every level of the system to support the Ministry’s transformation strategy;

4. Institutionalising corporate and business planning, including the establishing of monitoring and evaluation strategies to measure and report on performance;

5. Researching children’s needs and interests (understanding) to (i) enhance service delivery and (ii) create information systems

6. Developing a management framework that supports people engagement and change management.

In fulfilment of the new education development agenda, this Plan provides a detailed implementation framework presenting the planned approaches for the execution of the strategies, programmes and initiatives, and includes implementation structure, monitoring, reporting and evaluation. Recognising that the transformation initiatives identified will extend beyond 2015, the Ministry will take a two-pronged approach to implementing the Plan. This will see the simultaneous identification and implementation of both transformation strategies, whilst remaining responsive to emerging issues. These two (2) types of interventions have been integrated into one implementation framework, to ensure greater coherence and the identification of internal linkages and synergies. Critical to the implementation of this plan is development and implementation of a comprehensive change and transition programme, led by the senior executives of the Ministry.

 

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