Stokes: ETOC’s application of Orlando Patterson Report ‘very strong’

The Education Transformation and Oversight Committee (ETOC) has achieved “very strong implementation” of the recommendations from the Orlando Patterson report to date, its chair, Dr Adrian Stokes, asserted.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday where he provided a progress report, Stokes noted that 129 of the 365 recommendations being implemented by the Ministry of Education and Youth to improve the education sector are on track.

The Orlando Patterson Report on Educational Transformation sought to address the gaps and issues in Jamaica’s education system. The recommendations are being implemented over an eight-year period spanning 2023-2031, with ETOC monitoring the process.

Stokes stated that, so far, the transformation progress plan is 15 per cent completed, a two percentage increase from the committee’s last reporting period in March.

Seven recommendations have been achieved to date, these include the development and implementation of communications strategy plan, structural review of the National Council on Education, review of the early childhood commission, increased access to training for principals and school leaders, broadband infrastructure installation in 33 places of safety, mainstream of sixth-form pathways programme, and making reports public on school financials and the National Education Inspectorate school assessment.

Describing this as a “credible performance” by the Education Ministry, Stokes lauded the leadership who he said are fervent about education transformation.

“Among the senior leadership team, there is a big push to execute the recommendations of the report. I need to mention that because we have heard feedback from previous encounters or attempts to transform education and one reason oftentimes cited for a lack of implementation is that there wasn’t this buy-in at the Ministry,” he said.

“Change is difficult and the changes that are to be made to the education sector are far reaching and would take a complete … what I would call, attitudinal shift to ensure sustainability and to ensure that we produce improvements in educational outcomes we all strive for,” he added.

Initiatives on track

Importantly, Stokes shared that four initiatives that were previously reported as lagging are now on track. He revealed that implementation of the Education Management Information System (EMIS) which was slated to go live in April is “moving forward”. Reports on school financials and the National Education Inspectorate school assessment are now public. Allocation of budget resources to the early childhood and primary level gradually increased to an initial target of 10 per cent of per capita GDP. Additionally, measures to improve the quality of pre service and in service teachers at the early childhood level have been implemented.

Also, the early childhood development policy is 35 per cent completed and is being reviewed. Stokes noted that full implementation of this policy is expected in 2026, but shared his desire for an earlier enactment date.

“More resources are being channelled to the early childhood level in line with one of our key priorities for this transformation project, which is to fundamentally transform our early childhood sector,” he said.

Stressing that transformation is only effective if it leads to a massive improvement in key education performance indicators, Stokes noted that several key performance indicators have been established to measure success, at the very base of which is increasing the number of students who are numerate and literate.

He noted too, that a lot is being done to strengthen the country’s mathematics programme to support the government’s thrust to make Jamaica a science, technology, engineering and mathematics standout in the region.

“The ministry is currently revising key aspects of the programme to ensure important gaps are being eliminated,” he said.

Stating that she was pleased with the progress of the transformation programme, education Minister Fayval Williams sought to remind Jamaicans that the process “is a marathon, it’s not a sprint”.

The minister stated that while the ministry has eight years to implement the recommendation, it will take up to 20 years for it to comprehensively improve the infrastructure of the education system.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com