Independent Schools Encouraged to Invest in Continuous Training for Teachers

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon Fayval Williams, has encouraged independent schools to invest in continuous training and support for their teachers, to ensure they remain at the forefront of educational innovation.

Mrs. Williams said by doing so, independent schools will continue to create an environment that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills among students, equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in the modern world.

She was speaking at the Jamaica Independent Schools Association (JISA) annual back-to-school conference, held at the Holiday Inn Resort, Rose Hall Montego Bay, on July 25.

“I want to encourage you to continue to prioritise the professional development of our educators. The rapid changes in technology and teaching methodologies demand that our teachers are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively engage and inspire our students,” the Minister emphasised.

Mrs. Williams said the Ministry is pushing the departure from traditional discrete teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects to a more integrated approach, combining science, technology, engineering and mathematics in a cohesive manner.

“We’ve always taught technology, engineering and mathematics but we’ve done so in a discrete way, subject by subject. We want to move more of our schools, more of our classrooms into having integrated STEM schools and integrated STEM classes,” she pointed out.

Recognising the challenges ahead, the Minister acknowledged the need for significant efforts to retrofit the teacher-training system to enable seamless integration and transition.

She noted that the Government has already taken steps in this direction by allocating 1,250 STEM scholarships through The Mico University College, with additional scholarships planned for other teachers’ colleges.

Mrs. Williams said that this initiative aims to produce a new generation of educators, well versed in the STEM teaching methodology, thereby instilling them with the confidence to effectively implement integrated STEM teaching practices.

“To this extent, we’ll be able to graduate new teachers into the system who are taught the STEM methodology, who are comfortable with it, so when they go into the classrooms, they feel very confident when we begin that transition. So, I encourage all our independent schools to invest in continuous training and support of the teachers,” she added.