Montserrat and OECS Agrees on Harmonized Primary School Curriculum

Montserrat and other member states of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States…the OECS have agreed on a harmonized curriculum for schools in the subregion.

The decision was taken at the 6th Annual meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers of Education on February 4 and 5.

Minister of Education the Honourable Charles Kirnon attended the meeting, that was held virtually.

One key decision was the approval for the development of a new OECS Harmonized Curriculum that will focus on the skills and concepts of tomorrow that children require today.

That curriculum for primary schools of the OECS will use an interdisciplinary approach that connects core curriculum components with other critical life skills such as civics, creative arts, critical thinking, problem-solving and digital literacies.

Ministers committed to supporting a collaborative approach to developing a curriculum that is world-class and that will help transform teaching and learning that spotlights the child and their learning.

The Saint Lucia Ministry of Education hosted the meeting under the theme: Sustainable Education – Collaborative Policies and Practices for the Future. 

Discussions were framed by the COVID-19 conditions and the debilitating effect on the education system.

In spite that effect, the resilience of the OECS education system was highlighted with evidence of some of the success to the response to COVID-19 in education.

Some interventions by Ministries of Education included food programmes for vulnerable students, sanitization kits, print packages for home learning, and the provision of more than 15 000 devices across the region for students and teachers to connect with online learning.