Education Ministry Working to Improve Student Performance at the Primary Level

Acting Chief Education Officer (CEO) in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle, says the Ministry is actively working to improve student performance at the primary level.

Speaking during the recent ‘Conversation on Education’ conference, jointly hosted by the Ministry and the University of the West Indies (UWI) in collaboration with the Philosophy of Education Movement of the Caribbean – Jamaica (PEMCA-J) at the UWI, Mrs. Thomas Gayle noted that while past education reforms have improved student outcomes at the primary level, there is still room for further progress.

The Acting CEO emphasised that Jamaica’s National Standards Curriculum (NSC) at the primary level remains a bold reform with strong potential.

However, she noted that the next phase of reform must focus on achieving deeper impact, stronger classroom implementation, and improved student outcomes across the system.

Mrs. Thomas Gayle added that ongoing reforms are essential to ensure the programme remains relevant, responsive, and effective in preparing students for the challenges of modern society.

She pointed out, however, that due to major disruptions students have faced over the past nine years of the programme’s implementation, including the COVID-19 pandemic and hurricanes, many have not experienced the intended benefits of learning under the curriculum.

“The National Standards Curriculum is grounded in a constructivist, learner-centered approach [which] requires you to be hands-on, touching an environment that is created for you to learn… to explore. If it is that that’s not created, we’re not really delivering the national standards curriculum and being true to the design of the curriculum,” Mrs. Thomas Gayle stated.

“The truth is, we have not yet been able to measure the full gamut of a student exiting the primary level, being exposed to all six uninterrupted years of teaching and learning from the national standards curriculum.” she added.

Mrs. Thomas Gayle noted that there have also been gaps in teachers’ integration of the system into their lesson planning and execution.

“Only 66 per cent of the lesson plans met acceptable standards. So, they are planning, but they (lessons) are still not yet being planned the way intended. Integrated lesson planning [is] evident only in 31 per cent of the plans. About 50 per cent of our teachers are effectively using ICT (information and communications technology) and instructional materials in delivering their lessons,” she said.

Mrs. Thomas Gayle shared that the curriculum review will prioritise simplifying certain areas, strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy, expanding inclusive teaching practices, and increasing the integration of technology and STEM-based learning.

She emphasised, however, that the reform must remain “learner-centred, culturally grounded, and future-focused”.

Mrs. Thomas Gayle stated that the future success of the programme will require stronger emphasis on teacher training, noting that the teachers’ college curriculum is currently under review.

Proposed reforms also include increasing the number of specialist teachers at the primary level, strengthening teacher support and supervision, and enhancing performance monitoring. These measures are expected to improve results in weaker subject areas.

“We have 234 primary-level institutions currently using the specialist model, and this academic year we want more primary schools to adopt it, particularly in grades four, five, and six,” Mrs. Thomas Gayle said.

She assured that the Ministry remains open to feedback from stakeholders as it continues efforts to strengthen the curriculum.

“We take every conversation about our curriculum seriously, so we can shape future revisions where needed,” Mrs. Thomas Gayle said.

Meanwhile, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education at the UWI, Dr. Deon Edwards-Kerr, noted that deeper structural challenges continue to limit equity and high-level achievement in the education system, despite some gains from Jamaica’s National Standards Curriculum (NSC) and Primary Exit Profile (PEP) assessments.

According to Dr. Edwards-Kerr, “The NSC is structurally sound in design, showing genuine improvement in aggregate PEP outcomes.”

She added that the data highlights steady gains in subjects such as mathematics, language arts, science, and social studies following the introduction of the NSC.

However, she cautioned that too few students are reaching the highest levels of proficiency, warning that the system is “lifting the floor without raising the ceiling”.

“This is the NSC’s central tension. The curriculum is successfully moving students towards a basic standard but the system is not yet producing deep mastery. Most students are clustering in the middle band – competent, but not exceptional,” Dr. Edwards-Kerr explained.

She reiterated that mathematics remains a significant weak point, while challenges such as inadequate teacher preparation, overcrowded classrooms, digital poverty, and long-standing socioeconomic inequality continue to undermine the full potential of the curriculum.

Dr. Edwards-Kerr stated that the NSC is designed to empower students to think more creatively and develop viable solutions to real-world problems, with project-based learning fostering a strong problem-solving culture.

She emphasised that it is the responsibility of all stakeholders within the education sector to contribute to achieving better results, noting that advancing the programme should not rest solely with the Ministry.

‘Conversation on Education’ is an annual conference that brings together regional educators to address critical issues in Caribbean schooling.

The most recent staging, held on June 4, marked the sixth edition of the event. It was convened under the theme ‘Philosophy, Policy, and Educational Practice: Exploring the Experiences of Practitioners’, with a special focus on ‘Examining the Primary Level Curriculum: Exploring Further Enhancements’.

The conference took place at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, within the Faculty of Humanities and Education.

The Philosophy of Education Movement of the Caribbean (PEMCA) is a regional forum that brings together educators, researchers, policymakers, students, and other stakeholders to critically examine education and share research, ideas, and practical experiences.

It is designed to connect educational philosophy, research, policy, and classroom practice, fostering dialogue that bridges theory and application.