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Any attempt to improve the quality of basic education in schools immediately places the preparation of teachers as the point of central focus, since teachers and teaching are accepted as important factors in the success or failure of children. The role of teachers in contributing to the quality of education has been well acknowledged. Joyce and Weil (1972, p. 4) refer to the teacher as the “mid-wife of educational change” who is expected to provide an education that will equip the young to survive and develop to their fullest, and which will provide them with a sense of social responsibility and the ability to make informed choices in a consistently changing complex world. The preparation of teachers must, therefore, be afforded the care, attention, and support needed to ensure that the desired outcomes of the teaching/learning process are achieved.

The Multi-Site Teacher Education Research project (MUSTER) has explored initial teacher education in five countries – Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago. National research teams have collected and analysed data on key dimensions of the training process including the characteristics of those selected for training, the curriculum processes they experience, the perspectives and working practices of those who train
teachers, the outcomes of training, the reflections of newly trained teachers in schools, analysis of supply and demand for new teachers, and projections of the resource and cost implications of meeting national targets to universalise primary schooling.

Jamaicans have long been concerned about investment in and the equity of the education sector. Yet, contrary to
popular belief, the problem is not solely about money. Between 2005 and 2010, public investment in education as a
percent of GDP increased from 5.3 to 6.1 percent, more than the average for developed countries (5.2%). Most of
Jamaica’s children attend school at least through lower secondary, and the country has a robust assessment system,
which incorporates both national and school-based assessment.

However, low test scores at all levels of the Jamaican education system suggest that there are gaps in the system
that negatively impact the learning outcomes of many students. Poor children are particularly ill-served. Children in
prep schools—privately run primary level institutions usually attended by children from upper socio-economic groups
—outperform their counterparts in the public school system in all five Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) subjects,
sometimes by as much as 30 percentage points. Approximately 90% of the poorest persons have no secondary or
post-secondary certification compared with only 56% of the wealthiest.

Varying resources among schools remains a challenge. It is not uncommon to find better performing schools with more than one computer lab, wi-fi, and furnished school libraries co-existing with schools with a bare minimum number of computers, no library and severe overcrowding.

High levels of per pupil spending on tertiary primarily benefit students from wealthier households since few students from poorer households reach this level.

New systems for assessing school performance currently being implemented should help identify pressing needs and target resources to where they are most needed while ensuring accountability. Mechanisms for annual monitoring at the school level, including a more structured use of data from national tests and curriculum guidelines, will be critical to this process. However, it remains to be seen how well these systems will work in practice. Teachers’ education levels have improved, but making sure skills learned in training are applied in the classroom also remains a challenge.

The following table offers a summary of nine critical dimensions of education in Jamaica. For each of these topics, the table presents the current status (grade) and the prospects for progress (trend arrow). The evaluation, although necessarily subjective, is based on the best data available and is intended as a starting point for a shared conversation on needed improvements. All players, including the Ministry, parents, students, administrators, teachers, employers and community leaders have a part to play in ensuring students learn. Setting and enforcing standards that clearly lay out the resources and mechanisms needed to guarantee learning would go a long way toward providing Jamaican children with the education they need and deserve. The possibilities exist for us to build on the strong foundation we have laid over the years to provide all Jamaican children with a world-class education and unearth our nation’s potential. Success depends on us accepting that “we all can act and we all must act”. When we do, the possibilities are endless.

This white paper discusses the lessons learned while anticipating the challenges of sustaining the CETT program after the end of USAID funding. The CETTs worked closely with USAID to prepare for the continuation of the program at the regional, national, and local levels. The paper examines the political, financial, institutional, and social sustainability dimensions of these efforts.

This white paper discusses the systemic change in the behaviors and attitudes of CETT stakeholder groups, including school administrators, teacher trainers, teachers, parents, and students. CETT’s teacher training model stressed the inclusion of stakeholders at all levels to promote the importance of reading and writing. Achievement of the program’s intended effects depended on the willingness of the institutions and individuals involved to change their behaviors. This paper highlights the lessons learned and best practices in promoting this change.