Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 02, 2013 (SKNIS): The Ministry of Education, through its Curriculum Development Unit (CDU) has completed its July 29 to August 01 intensive Curriculum Review and Development training workshop.
Director of the CDU Dr. Eva Bowrin noted that one of the main focuses of the workshop was to improve the department’s efficiency.
“At CDU our aim is to become as efficient as we possibly can and that is very general but this is why we are here,” she explained. “We are looking at where the gaps are so that we can put programmes in place to fill them in order to become even more efficient.”
Dr. Cynthia Crump, Assistant Director of Education in charge of curriculum development in Antigua and Facilitator of the workshop shared what she expects will come from the workshop.
“My hope going forward is that the committee members and the Ministry of Education will work with teachers, principals and students, business places and other stakeholders to now become engaged in redesigning, reviewing the present curricula and developing it.”
She added that one of the major aspects that the Ministry of Education is looking at is getting educators to become more involved in research.
“The results of the research, or the data which comes from research, could be used to drive education,” she explained. “We refer to that as data driven decision making so that decisions are not made without thought. The data shows what decisions should be made.”
Staff at the Curriculum Development Unit, Education Officers, Curriculum Review Committee members and other stakeholders were all present at the workshop which also looked at the phases of the curriculum development process, designing the philosophy and a vision that would guide the curriculum all of which was based on the national goals and the mission and vision of the Ministry of Education. They were also involved in making a national curriculum framework which would guide the further development and review of curriculum guides for St. Kitts and Nevis.