Revised Teacher Appraisal Model To Be Implemented

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, says that a revised teacher appraisal model is to be implemented within the education sector.

“The difference between this teacher appraisal model and the past one is that this one is standards based. It demands evidence of performance and is aligned to the National Standards Curriculum,” Mrs. Williams said.

She was speaking during her contribution to the 2021/22 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on April 28.

The Education Minister informed that the model will be assessed every two years for its effectiveness as an indicator of professional practice, and amended accordingly.

She pointed out that the model is “not for punitive purposes but for a powerful point of reflection, support and growth”.

Mrs. Williams said that putting measures in place to enhance teacher effectiveness and help them grow, as well as assess them, is aimed at improving and supporting teachers.

“The Jamaica Teaching Council has been assiduously working on this and expects that all points will be settled by the end of April 2021,” she noted.

She said that the National Education Inspectorate (NEI) in its last annual report, recommended as a way to increase teacher effectiveness, the development of a National Teacher Competency Index that will inform the Ministry and the Government of Jamaica of the existing teacher competencies.

“This will inform the national training plan, so that it can be targeted on the national needs. The index should be standards-based and publishable,” Mrs. Williams said.

She noted that the NEI report also recommended that “all teachers should be teachers of reading and, therefore, it should be a mandatory subject in teacher-training college programmes.”