Dominica’s Education Minister, Petter Saint Jean, says a decision taken by the administration back in 2005 to implement Universal Secondary Education (USE) is reaping rewards.
The Minister told a press conference last week that the government will now be focusing on delivering quality education.
He says to complement this vision the Government has recognized that focused attention must be placed on early childhood development.
“Initially we looked at Early Childhood Education but then we recognized that we needed to focus not just on educating our children but to focus on the zero to five years,” the Minister noted.
Currently the Ministry of Education and the Government of Dominica are spending significant resources at ensuring that every Dominican child is given an opportunity to access quality early childhood care and development.
In that regard, the Government of Dominica has established a number of facilities using available space at primary schools around the island.
The Minister told the press conference that “the cabinet took a decision to pay the salaries of teachers within those facilities and to date they are seeing the results of this action.”
Saint Jean said Government has recognized that the most critical stage of a child’s development is from the tender age of zero to three.
“As a Government we have to address the issues that confront children at this very early age. Bearing this in mind, we re-visited the early childhood policy that was developed with a view to incorporating the zero to three age bracket,” he noted.
The minister further stated that the Ministry of Education has sought to establish systems and mechanisms within the secondary school system to ensure that every child succeeds.
“It is important to note that not every child is academically inclined and bearing this in mind we must prepare early in order for those children to succeed,” he pointed out.
One such mechanism, he said, is the introduction of the Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (QVC’s).
“The focus right now is on the CVQ’s which we launched last September. Our hope is that having looked at the success of this pilot program that it will be launched at all of our Secondary schools within a short time,” Saint Jean said.
The Government of Dominica in recent times has provided a significant amount of resources to ensure that Secondary schools are equipped and well furnished with the tools necessary for effective learning.
According to the Education Minister, the Ministry of Education is now looking to introduce the Child Friendly initiative at Secondary schools.
“It is really a programme that caters to the creation of a safe and friendly environment in which children can do well. We believe that there is need to incorporate the secondary schools in this programme” the Minister said.
Exactly wat rewards are being reaped cus from wat i’m seeing now is students dropping out of school, repeating classes, expulsion for no improvement etc etc. THis Universal Education Program NEEEEDDDSS to be removed cus the youth is going astray.
Place counselors in schools to help and motivate the troubled ones. Bring back the days when kids would work and study hard to go to Secondary school and feel like they accomplished sumtin. Place Youth Centers around, Bring back the Cinema, give the youth sumtin positive to do with their time instead of walkin around town on a weekend or chilling on the front and being influence by no good elders. there is so much this Government can do to help the youth. this is just my two cents
Another set of great comments on DNO minister please take note and stop lying or trying to save face. We cannot solve a problem by pretending that it does not exist.
Peter St. Jean, I thought you were a christian! Now I really have all right to say you are indeed a stranger to truth. Is your party the one who implemented Universal Education? All along I knew that it was first piloted at the Pierre Charles Secondary School by the UWP. Weh Bon Dieu!
I don’t support the party, but U.S.E is the best thing that has happened to Dominica since Independence. It gives our kids a chance to achieve.
You are campaigning man… USE PAR BONNE! It is a very bad programme, and even if your tongue get out of you throat or your head wherever it is hooked there, it’s just you and Skerrit that are saying that it is achieving result. E par bonne!
When will Mr. and the others stop that nonsense about UDE nah. That is the biggest failure that has happened to education in Dominica.
USE was first piloted in GrandBay Secondary School years years years ago.
You know what these rewards they’re reaping are? Stupidity – The downfall of our children. Mixing those who have no interest in learning with those who do.
Back in the day if didn’t want to be in a “Low class” you damn well made sure you got good grades.
Now when teachers should be teaching they’re spending it trying to keep control of the class.
Universal secondary education was implemented by the united workers party.
They always saying “significant resources” yet none of them can say X number of dollars were spend and 100% of X is accounted for.
dat is a lie..what benifits?? uh so many children go to school just disturbing those that want to learn and allu saying allu reaping benifits..our children who wants to learn are suffering because children who r not intereested r still disturbing then teachers keep putting the entire class on detention bcuz of one trouble maker..or so many periods they frustrated they leave the class. on another those teachers don’t teach anymore? is bb, facebook etc..and they only giving children projects, modules etc..they bearly teach those days..what allu paying them 4 again? and what i paying for again??? tell me mr. minister.
What year was USE implemented in Dominica? From my recollection it was earlier than 2005. Why would the minister of education choose to be misleading in the simple date of the commencement of USE in Dominica? I just don’t get it…
USE was piloted at GrandBay Secondary School. Not the new school now called Pierre Charles Secondary. This is many many years ago… Guess they know what they are saying when they are mentioning it was implemented in 2005, but from the time it was piloted, it has been at GrandBay and now Pierre Charles Sec…
How is the Minister judging the results of USE? What are the indicators he is using to make his concluson? We want facts and figures, Mr. Minister. Please produce the success factors.
Please renovate the Thibaud Primary School and use it as a Youth Skills or Technical Vocational School for the kids from that part of the island.
A big building going to waste.
The new programmes sound like a step in the right direction. If properly implemented and managed, our students should benefit.
I am much more interested in learning the specific details of the rewards reaped since implementing USE. Any idea where I can find that information?
plz bring back Junior secondary program (jsp)dt was great.alot benefited from it.i did