Robert Hart, Parliamentary Reporter
Maxine Henry-Wilson says: "The teacher performance evaluation has been fully developed."
THE GOVERNMENT is currently introducing the teacher performance evaluation programme it has pushed for several years, and which has been criticised in the past by teachers who disagreed with the suggestion that performance be tagged to pay.
The introduction of performance pay was one of the many recommendations listed in the report of the Task Force on Education, on which the Government's massive education transformation programme is based.
But yesterday, Minister of Education, Youth and Culture, Maxine Henry-Wilson, made no mention of performance pay as she opened the 2005/2006 Sectoral Debate with an outline of the programmes related to her portfolio for this fiscal year.
TRAINING HAS BEEN CONDUCTED
"The teacher performance evaluation has been fully developed. The relevant training has been conducted and it is currently being implemented in schools across the island," Mrs. Henry-Wilson told the House of Representatives.
"During the course of this year, it will become a regular part of the evaluation of all those who are in the teaching profession right across the system," she added.
The Education Minister also announced that the Government would seek to introduce a licensing and recertification system for all teachers this year, as part of its efforts to raise the quality of teacher performance.
"The aim, as recommended by the task force, is to ensure that all teachers complete a bachelor's degree in education," she said.
"Holders of degrees in a subject discipline with no teacher training must complete at least a diploma in teacher education," the Education Minister added.
Mrs. Henry-Wilson also reiterated several announcements made by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson during the Budget Debate last month.
Pointing to the Prime Minister's announcement that 200 schools would be brought up to the required standard and that 11 schools would be fast-tracked for expansion, the Education Minister said that contracts for the school expansion programme would be put to tender by this weekend.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE SCHOOLS
She stressed, however, that the construction of the schools would not be allowed to become a giveaway of Government funds.
"I want to point out to members that the school building and refurbishing programme is not a bonanza. It is aimed at providing real facilities for teaching and learning environments," Mrs. Henry-Wilson said.
"Therefore, persons who receive contracts must be persons who have a track record of performance because the schools will have to be finished and ready for occupation by September 5 when the new school year starts."
Mrs. Henry-Wilson also stressed that the transformation of education would not be a nine-day wonder and that while increments of improvement should be seen over time, radical changes would only be manifested in five to six years.
"This is based on the introduction of a transformed early childhood system," she said.
The Minister also announced that screening of children for developmental, behavioural and psycho-social problems will be instituted. Subsequent interventions would then be expected to dramatically reduce the effects of developmental problems on children's later learning.
