Basseterre, St. Kitts: It became clear in A Finding Your Niche discussion held at the Education Media Unit that schools’ conventional academic cultures are shifting dramatically in response to a world that is changing quickly due to innovation and technology.
Ms. Kamise Douglas, School Counselor, highlighted a shift in academic culture that is currently taking place.
“At the primary school level, there is a slight shifting. We can take differentiated learning and I know a lot of teachers know this word. It’s finding different approaches to the way you teach and also the way you test. Things that they are incorporating are group testing or incorporating technology when they are given a test. So, it is no longer just the simple; they give you the paper and you start writing your answers. It is more interactive. There are also clubs. It is bringing back the exploration for kids because the primary level is the foundation. It is the exploring and trying to discover so that when they get to high school, they can build on it.”
Enote Inanga, Lecturer of Pure Maths, Information Technology and Computer Science at Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC), noted the need for the incorporation of relevant material in education to facilitate the shift in today’s world.
“The current board at the college recognizes that we need to modernize our curriculum and the courses that we are offering and design things that are more applicable to the future that is about to be their future.”
This shift in education promises to prepare students for a future where critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity will be essential skills.