ETOC making progress in implementing Patterson report recommendations

By Nakinskie Robinson   

 

Work has commenced on 129 of the 365 recommendations contained in the Orlando Patterson-led Reform of Education in Jamaica, 2021 Report.

 

Chairman of the Education Transformation Oversight Committee (ETOC), Dr. Adrian Stokes, who gave the update while speaking during a Ministry of Education and Youth ETOC Press Conference on Friday morning, said ETOC started 35 new initiatives in addition to the 94 that commenced last year.

 

"The overall progress on the transformation plan is 15 per cent, a two percentage points increase over the prior reporting period. All of the 129 initiatives being worked on are on track. The four initiatives that we reported as lagging at our last briefing are now on track," he said. 

 

Dr. Stokes, who lauded the progress, noted that ETOC is committed to ensuring full implementation of the recommendations for an improved education sector.

 

He also provided an update on other aspects of the transformation project, including the National Education Inspectorate (NEI) report.   

 

"The NEI reports are now publicly available and the ministry is now publishing financial information on schools that are funded from the public purse. In addition, the implementation of EMIS or the Education Management Information System is moving forward," he touted. 

 

He said more resources are being channelled into the early childhood education system, a key priority under the project.

 

Dr. Stokes called for the early childhood development policy, which is around 35 per cent complete, and is expected to be implemented by 2026, to be fast-tracked.

 

He also highlighted areas where significant progress has been made including, special education support, shadow support, teacher training and infrastructure development.

 

The ETOC chairman sought to assure the public that the data being reported on regarding the committee's progress can be trusted. 

 

"There's a very well developed project management framework in place around the current transformation exercise to monitor and track the implementation of the initiatives. The project management system, software called Asana, provides audit trail that improves governance and integrity. This goes to the heart of the project management process, ensuring there is data integrity that serves as the foundation for accurate and timely reporting," he insisted.