Teachers prepare new primary school curriculum
In times of peace prepare for war. That’s what many primary school teachers are doing this summer. But this war, according to News Five’s Arreini Palacio, may be a beneficial one.
Come this September, learning ABC’s and 123’s in Belize District primary schools will be a little bit more fun for students. Over one hundred and twenty, infant one to standard one teachers, took part in a four week workshop in which they got a chance to make changes and additions to their curriculum. According to Curriculum officer Priscilla Lopez, the workshop, which was sponsored by the Ministry of Education, made a lot of progress.
Priscilla Lopez, Curriculum Officer
“We have new inclusions in the curriculum. For example, we have work and technology, something we did not have before. We have expressive arts which includes dance, music and it is quite different. We have an integrated approach and we’re looking at more creative learning for our Belizean children.”
And our Belizean children will agree that learning should be fun. The teachers taking part in the work and technology workshop agree that their teaching methods should keep up with the rapidly changing times.
Bob Fox, St. Mark and St. John University
“We have to bring very complex topics to the level of the children. The idea is to make it into a play activity. If you look at it, it might look like a toy but very quickly we put these mechanisms together. They have fun making them; they can translate them to situations in their real life – technology, electrical learning all those things.”
For the teachers and education officers, the hope is that this new, interactive curriculum will add more students to the roll.
Priscilla Lopez
“We want to maximize learning in the classrooms, keep those in school and attract those who are out of school to come to school.”
Christina Castillo, Teacher, St. Joseph Lower School
“It will be, as the name implies, most of the teaching will be child centered and children will be more active, not that talk and talk thing that used to go on.”
Isabel Castillo, Principal, St. Joseph Lower School
“I have learned how to write schemes and how to write units and now I have a clear philosophy of this course.”
This course should give teachers and students something to look forward to when the bell rings in September. Arreini Palacio for News Five.
The workshop ends on Friday.
