News

The Government of Dominica has signed contracts with Edu-Nova Cooperative Ltd. valued at XCD$279, 693.00 for consultancies in multi-grade teaching and curriculum development.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Mrs. Jennifer Wallace-Lafond signed the contracts on Friday with the Canada based Edu-Nova, an education and training provider.

Hon. Petter Saint Jean, Minister for Education and Human Resource Development, Hon. Colin Mc Intyre and Mrs. Ruth Allport, Minister and Permanent Secretary respectively in the Ministry of Employment, Trade, Industry and Diaspora Affairs witnessed the signing.

The results of the multi-grade consultancy are expected to assist the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development with the effective application of multi-grade teaching methodologies and provide training in best practices and strategies for effective pedagogy in multi-grade schools.

Edu Nova will also assist in the revision of the National Curriculum Framework and the development of a program of study and curriculum guides for selected subjects in key stages 2 and 3.

The consultancies fall under the Dominica Education Enhancement Project (DEEP) which seeks to provide comprehensive teacher training and professional development to enhance competencies in key subject areas. The DEEP also aims to better equip education practitioners to respond to the challenges of universal education, particularly the need to enhance education outcomes and provide support to students with different learning styles.

Edu-Nova says it will focus on developing technical and vocational education and training and will then develop programmes of study and curriculum guides that will ensure that teaching content and methodology are consistent with the revised National Curriculum Framework.

The consultants say they see great potential for the education system in Dominica where, in some cases, multiple grades are taught in single classrooms.

“The professional educators on our team believe that the existence of several ages in one classroom can, in fact, strengthen the learning experience and they are proponents of including children of different ages in one classroom with a  pedagogy that reflects differentiated learning in all regards,” said Edu-Nova.

The consulting team has promised an integrated approach to the two consultancies which would develop curriculum guides to facilitate multi-grade environments resulting in “a totally inclusive and integrated plan for education.”

The multi-grade and curriculum development consultancies will run until October 2013 and April 2014 respectively.