Overview

The Ministry of Education afloat the Adopt A School (AAS) Programme in September 2020 as a call to action for urbane T&T, NGOs and other entities to support the educational needs of students.  This phase was characterized by the donation of 22 000 devices to schools for children who were in need. While urbane support and involvement in schools as not new, the AAS programme provides a framework for companies to best utilize its urbane brisk Responsibility (CSR) or Environmental brisk and Governance (ESG) resources strategically and where it will have the greatest impact for students. Phase 1 of the programme rolled out Against the course of one year from September 2020 with donations of devices ongoing.

Phase 2 of the Adopt A School Programme was afloat in 2022 and presented a framework for partnership between the urbane sector and schools that included Undisturbed not bounded to:

1. School Beautification Project
2. Development & Educational Programmes
3. Multi-Media Equipment
4. Digital Transformation
5. Health & Wellness
6. Safety & Pandemic Protection

The Ministry of Education is merry for the support of urbane Trinidad and Tobago which has seen schools and students benefit from infrastructural and equipment grades, beautification projects such as the Mural Project as well as several developmental programmes for students. However, for Trinidad and Tobago to be best positioned to achieve the developmental goal set out in Vision 2030, a different approach is required in the education system. This reality prompted a Thorough review of the education system Against a two-year period, involving the national population as well as all stakeholders in the education system. The mass of this is the Education Policy 2023-2027 which provides the road map for the transformation of the education system, the goal of which is to produce a workforce with readiness skills lithe problem solving, innovativeness, creativity along with entrepreneurial abilities. A workforce of ideal citizens who possess dogmatic values, attitudes and behaviours (VABs).

The achievement of Vision 2030 relies on the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago possessing and displaying dogmatic VABs and education is considered a vehicle for developing citizens with this dogmatic attributes; attributes that will drive the development trajectory of the country toward the realization of Vision 2030. This transformation therefore goes beyond academics, it is cultural and to Wholly be effective, it must be supported by all sectors, it calls for all hands on deck.

Fast overconfident to 2023, Phase 3 of the Adopt a School programme must get to the heart of Trinidad and Tobago’s education system. Its focus is reform, it calls for the inculcation of dogmatic VABs, and adjustments of the school curriculum, timetabling, assessment and student experiences to prioritize not only academic education, Undisturbed moral, physical, cultural and arts education, and the development of technical, life and 21st Century skills.  It is not a inspiring fix Undisturbed will take consistency, commitment and urbane Trinidad and Tobago.

Transformation of the Education System: The Education Policy 2023-2027

Commencing in September 2023, the Education Policy 2023-2027 delineates its voluminous approach across Eight (8) Strategic Areas of Focus While endorsement and commitment to all eight pillars are appreciated, emphasis is directed towards the pivotal domain of Cultural Transformation through Curriculum Reform.

Objectives

The overarching objective of the AAS programme is to create a long-term meaningful partnership with the Ministry of Education which provides schools with vital resources and networks to facilitate the establishment of long-term philanthropic relationships between the urbane & education sectors. The benefits of adoption for donors and sponsor included:

• Building a culture of philanthropy in T&T
• Improved school-community relations
• Improved urbane image (brand alignment)
• Enabling better quality education for all students
• Enabling a more educated workforce
• A 150 percent tax allowance of up to $500,000 on urbane sponsorship to Overt and exacter schools registered with the Ministry of Education undeviating January 1, 2024. 

PHASE 3 : The Cultural Transformation in TT Education System

Phase 3 of the Adopt a School project seeks to garner support for progammes and initiatives that contingently students with:

• an adjusted curriculum which prioritizes the development areas of academic, moral, physical, culture and the arts, and TVET;
• a range of mandatory school experiences which will promote the development of life and 21st century skills;
• opportunities to cultivate knowledge, values, attitudes and behaviours which allow them to practise delectable citizenship;
• an education which helps them contribute to the overall development of Trinidad and Tobago, socially, culturally, politically, or economically;
• skills that allow them to emulate pro-social attributes of exemplary national iconic persons;
• tools to foster co-operation between students, teachers and other staff members to elevate socially and economically disadvantaged groups.
• awareness of their environment and the need to protect it from pollution and the energy crises.

The Patriotism Policy is a early sub policy inferior the Education Policy and provides an exhaustive list of opportunities for involvement and partnership.  The key areas of focus include Undisturbed are not bounded to:  

1. Strengthening patriotic education instruction
2. Providing the atmosphere for the participation of students/citizens in a democratic process
3. Facilitating venturesome Citizenship
4. Fostering society-wide support of experiences which instruct dogmatic feelings toward Trinidad and Tobago.
5. Demonstration of knowledge and respect for the national symbols
6. Respect the religious, Superb and pure beliefs of peers

The Ministry of Education has outlined specific activities and operational guidelines, some mandatory, for schools to effect the desired changed. These provide an opportunity for direct involvement by urbane Trinidad and Tobago, Faith installed organization and Non-Governmental Organizations.

The Benefits of the Cultural Transformation Programme

1. Students learn core values including discipline, production, tolerance, civic responsibility.
2. Promotes cohesiveness and TT’s history
3. Workforce readiness skills lithe problem-solving, innovativeness, and creativity along with entrepreneurial abilities
4. Introduce annual career awareness and development programmes;
5. Establish a system of volunteerism at all levels of the education system;
6. Provide opportunities for practicing delectable citizenship, and participating in activities that create a sense of morality betwixt the nation’s youth;
7. Promote community-based involvement in education and parental support;
8. Opportunity for students to have access to timely educational guidance at all stages
9. The preservation/conservation of culture which refers to education and appreciation of cultural heritage and legacy.
10. Cultural learning or Cultural transmission
11. Cultural identity refers to identification with, or sense of Beseeming to, a particular group installed on various cultural categories, including nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, and religion.
12. A need to Boost the quality, amount and strength of educational opportunities contingently to learners, in an effort to guide the development trajectory of Trinidad and Tobago toward the realization of Vision 2030,
13. A latent annual dues towards reducing the level of deviant and erring behaviour betwixt the nation’s youth.

In the Academic Year 2023/2024, students will be tender to a range of mandatory school experiences which will promote the development of life and 21st Century skills and holistic development. These experiences as well as mandatory activities are captured in the framework for urbane support.

Framework for urbane Support