17th February 2016
Six public secondary schools have been selected for the pilot phase of a programme ‘Class Flow’ being advanced by the Ministry of Education to improve the educational outcome of students through the use of technology.
All Saints Secondary, Ottos Comprehensive, Clare Hall Secondary, Jennings Secondary, Glanvilles and St. Mary’s Secondary schools have been selected for the roll out of the programme, being developed by Promethean World, an Education Technology Company that develops, integrates and implements learning environments.
The idea to adopt ‘Class Flow’ came about after the Bahamian Minister of Education gave his Antiguan counterpart Minister Michael Browne an insight into the huge strides his country has made in classrooms using the advanced technology.
Speaking at a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) summit on Tuesday at the Jolly Beach Resort, Minister Michael Browne admonished education officials and stakeholders to approach what is to come with an open mind, as government put measures in place to create a “revolutionary education system”.
“Do not ask if it will work; ask instead how can I get it to work in my classroom, in my school,” the minister noted.
“It is not by accident that our Mathematics programme was able to perform the way it did, or our English and Agricultural Science. It is because we looked at the data and we figured out where we are falling short, and we targeted specifically the short comings, based on what the data told us. We are going to continue to do the same thing on an even broader scale.”
The education minister is giving the assurance that all the necessary resources will be provided for teachers and students to facilitate the improvement.
“We will be providing the laptops for teachers and students. We have already undertaken the initiative to secure our schools, to ensure they are safe and our equipment and technology will be safe,” he stated.
Jack Reed, head of consulting globally for Promethean revealed that the company will work along with education officials to design a programme that will help students become more engaged, and to assist teachers to use technology effectively in their classrooms, how to use digital content, and how to involve students through the effective use of technology.
Implementation of the pilot phase is expected to begin by September, 2016, and should last for one year according to Reed. Full implementation will stretch over a 5-year period.
The Promethean Company is expected to install equipment, mainly interactive boards. In partnership with other companies, they will also make available learning content.
Another component in the programme is the digitization of textbooks, which the minister says will significantly reduce the cost associated with the purchasing of study materials for schools.
School administrators are being updated on the proposed improvements that are to come.
Stacey Payne-Mascal, Education Officer, Knowledge Management is spearheading the implementation of the programme.
Phil George Communication Officer Tel: (268) 464-5547
