Bermuda's public schools are to adopt new methods of teaching English, maths and science. The Cambridge International Curriculum will be
implemented - possibly as soon as the fall.
Education Minister Elvin James claims there will be an "Onion-ized blend" of the new curriculum and Bermuda's history and culture.
He said: "For far too long we have heard complaints about the ill-preparedness of some of our graduates for higher education or for the workforce.
"These complaints formed the very basis upon which the 2007 review of public education was carried out.
"We took steps to improve but realized that more needed to be done.
"The adoption of the Cambridge International Curriculum represents the most significant step taken in the last 10 years to improve public education in Bermuda."
The Cambridge system is an internationally recognized curriculum used in more than 157 countries.
Teams from the Board of Education and Department of Education considered more than a dozen curricula, including the International Baccalaureate, the International Primary Curriculum, the UK National Curriculum, the Singapore International American School, the Virginia Standards of Learning, the Plano curriculum and the York Region School Board Curriculum.
Dovetailing
The Cambridge Curriculum has four phases, beginning with Primary (age 5-11), Lower Secondary (age 11-14 - the equivalent of our middle schools), Middle Secondary (age 14-16 - the equivalent of S1 and S2), and Upper Secondary (age 16-19).
Minister James claims the dovetailing of levels ensures there is a "standard of consistency" from one to the next.
He added: "There are regularly administered checkpoints, or tests, built into the curriculum toprovide detailed feedback on each student's strengths and weaknesses before they progress to the next level.
"As students move from one level to the next in the Cambridge system, reports to parents become even more detailed and provide solid advice about the different progression routes available to a student after the age of 14."
For the past two weeks, the Ministry has been meeting with parents, teachers, principals and central office staff to let them know about the new curriculum and to address concerns.
Minister James said: "We are not adopting a United Kingdom curriculum and dropping it into Bermuda's schools.
Marriage
"In each of the countries where Cambridge is used, the core content has been adapted to make it suit each country's educational context. The same will happen in Bermuda.
"We're not going to do away with local Bermuda history or social studies.
"It will be a perfect marriage between the two - an Onion-ized blend."
The team implementing the changes will make a recommendation on when to launch them before the next Board of Education meeting in June.
Minister James said: "We have to get this right the first time. We will not get a second chance.
"We have to make sure we give ourselves enough time to do it right but we have to go quickly enough to ensure our children have the opportunity to succeed.
"We're not pressing for a September start."
The Education Ministry also hopes to introduce enrichment courses to ensure "no one gets left behind". These could see an extra hour added to the school day, more sports and urging students with "specific talents" to excel in those areas.
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Comment by:
hari sharan bhuju
I went through the articles and includes only the views. The readers would be more clear and grateful if such articles includes some the example of real methods of teaching the way they are used in in practice.
Hari
