Principals Urged to Take More Active Role in Improving Maths Performance

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information is urging school principals to play a more active role in improving student performance in mathematics.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Kasan Troupe, made the call during the Principals’ Engagement Session for the Reskilling Teachers Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in STEM Education to Raise Students’ Mathematics Identity (RAISE) Initiative, at the Ministry’s offices in Kingston on Wednesday (September 16).

Dr. Troupe said the success of the initiative will depend on the active involvement of principals in monitoring instruction, assessment and curriculum delivery within their schools.

“You cannot transform in isolation. You cannot transform with a hands-off approach. As somebody who has done it, I can tell you, you have got to be actively involved in the mission and the vision that you set out before you in your school,” she emphasised.

Drawing on her experience as Principal of Denbigh High School in Clarendon, Dr. Troupe noted that the percentage of students passing mathematics rose from approximately 33 per cent to 75 per cent within two years.

She attributed the improvement to close monitoring and deliberate interventions, noting that “anything that you want in your school to be successful, you have to pay attention”.

The Permanent Secretary said the RAISE initiative seeks to strengthen mathematics education by integrating science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) approaches into teaching and learning.

She noted that Jamaica’s curriculum is already built on an integrated approach, allowing students to make connections across disciplines.

“Our curriculum is written under the philosophy of STEAM, built on integration, mapping the cross-cutting principles and disciplines together so we can innovate and generate… when it comes down to being creative. That’s what the curriculum is designed to do,” Dr. Troupe stated.

She said the approach is intended to help learners move beyond simply using technology and become creators.

The Permanent Secretary emphasised that teacher training and capacity-building will be critical to the programme’s success.

“The system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers. So we have to invest in our teachers. We have to build their capacity,” she said.

Dr. Troupe urged principals to ensure that teachers are adequately supported and that the implementation of the initiative is closely monitored, evaluated and followed up.

She also encouraged principals to make greater use of the educational resources already available to schools, including IXL, e-books and YouTube channels.

Additionally, the Permanent Secretary stressed that schools must maximise the use of textbooks and other learning materials, noting that resources should be managed effectively to ensure students have access to them when needed.

Meanwhile, Dr. Troupe invited principals to recommit to initiatives that support learning, stressing that improving educational outcomes requires a collective effort.

“Education cannot wait. If we wait, we lose a generation. Education requires all hands on deck. It requires sacrifice. It requires vision. It requires teamwork. It requires maximising on what you have got,” she maintained.

Dr. Troupe said the Ministry has set a goal under its education transformation efforts for at least 80 per cent of learners to pass five or more external subjects, including Mathematics and English, emphasising “we can do it”.

She encouraged principals to work closely with their teachers to ensure that the programmes and resources available translate into improved outcomes for students.

The Permanent Secretary said the ultimate objective is to ensure that all learners receive the support they need to achieve their full potential.

“Let’s re-commit to the promise that we have in the children before us, unearth talents, possibilities, dreams. Let’s connect. Let’s make that a reality for the kind of Jamaica that we need,” she added.