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by pltm
(PLTM) - Minister for Education Hon. Sharie de Castro recently indicated that as the world adapts and transforms, the education system in the Virgin Islands must also reflect these changes.
Speaking on the “Public Eye”, Minister de Castro spoke about the significance of the theme: “Moving full S.T.E.A.M ahead”.
She explained that the increasingly globalised world will require that students are fully exposed to critical thinking, diverse skillsets, the appreciation for collaboration, and specifically integration in the education system.
“It’s an approach that we have been talking about for quite some time. How do you use integration and cross-curricular learning to ultimately get the end result in terms of the concept or the content that you want to teach?” Hon. de Castro asked.
She further advanced that a critical analysis of the overall education system would reveal several overlaps and intricate links between the various disciplines and areas of study.
“There is a holistic approach that we must now take, bearing in mind that certain concepts ultimately cross subject areas and how we could use integration to allow for more in-depth learning to take place. Because the more you consistently teach a concept, and content, it reaches the child,” Hon. de Castro proposed.
She also indicated that especially at the primary level and at earlier stages of educational development, some assessments have been undertaken towards providing support for teachers in the area of enhancing the national curriculum.
“When you start to speak about curriculum changes, it is not as simple as it sounds. It’s a lot of leg work that is needed, and a lot of paper work. It’s not simple at all, but it is what is needed," she said.
Hon. de Castro added, “oftentimes when we think about education, we look at the schools and we look at the physical infrastructure but the reality is if we don’t have the curriculum and the policies and the legislation to truly drive the change, …. how do we allow for our outcomes to truly become a reality?”
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