Education fair looks at what’s new in classrooms

We are a bit late in reporting it, but we happen to be in the middle of Education Week. Wednesday’s feature event was a fair to focus on the latest development in the classroom.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Despite the hot weather, many primary school students attended the fair in observance of Education Week.

Maud Hyde, Chief Education Officer
“It is an excellent opportunity to give the public a chance to really see what it is that happens behind the doors in the offices of the Education Department, as well as the stakeholders that join with us in providing educational services in the country.”

Some of those institutions like the Police Department and non-governmental organisations mounted exhibits that caught the attention of the boys and girls.

According to Maud Hyde, the Chief Education Officer, their biggest challenge is ensuring that they deliver quality education.

Maud Hyde
“I must say there are lots of factors that contribute to determining whether students will receive the quality of education that we would like them to have. Some factors are the responsibility of the Ministry of Education; some are the responsibility of parents and the community, so it is a combined effort. And if we can get all the pieces together and get all parties working together I think we are going to solve some of the pressing issues where quality is concerned.”

One such issue is making sure all students have equal access to core subjects like Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and English. Hyde says it is all part of the government’s textbook programme.

Maud Hyde
“The text book programme is providing free text books in core subject, that is Math, Science, Social Studies, English and Spanish.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“So parents, like myself, will not need to pay for these books?”

Maud Hyde
“You will not have to buy a text in these particular areas. Of course there are other support materials that the children will still have to buy like their dictionaries, their atlas and a few other books that the school may require. However, when it comes Math, Science, Social Studies, English, and Spanish, the books will be provided free of cost to every child.”

“We are including the publishers of these materials. Many of them will send representation into the country to assist the teachers, to prepare them to go through the materials and make themselves ready for the new school year.”

Education week culminates on Friday with an award ceremony for outstanding teachers and schools at the Bliss. The outstanding teachers include Dacia Tillett, Marie Aleman, Priscilla Brown-Lopez, Jeremy Cayetano, and Rosamond Williams, while Escuela Secundaria Mexico in the Corozal District will be this year’s recipient of the Outstanding School Award. Both the Outstanding Teachers and the Outstanding School were selected from among nominations submitted by the public.