Quest For Excellence
Ministry of Education
i
Ministry of Education
ii
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Peter Drucker
Ministry of Education
iii
© Ministry of Education
Trinidad and Tobago
August 2005
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.
Published by: The Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago
Prepared by Basil Mortley
Education Programme Coordinator
November 2006.
Ministry of Education
iv
Foreword
The setting of quality standards for education signals a critical step in our strategy to establish a quality education system in Trinidad and Tobago. It represents a turning point from a Ministry dealing with the challenges of a traditional modus operandi to one that is in the vanguard of a global movement towards quality education. These standards are the engine of a reform process that entails not only restructuring and capacity building but also the establishment of a quality management system (QMS). The QMS will provide accountability and transparency whilst facilitating the transformation process.
As a consequence of a mandate to prepare all our citizenry, regardless of their circumstances, for work and life in the 21st century, these Standards were crafted to guide the management and administrative processes within the Ministry, to ensure that optimum services, resources and support are provided in order to enhance the performance of all learners. They were developed after extensive research, review of best practices and extensive consultations with numerous stakeholders. More importantly, they were produced after thorough assessment of our local situation, but with a clear understanding of our place in the regional and international community. On behalf of the Ministry of Education, I extend appreciation and gratitude to all who
i
Ministry of Education
ii
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Peter Drucker
Ministry of Education
iii
© Ministry of Education
Trinidad and Tobago
August 2005
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.
Published by: The Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago
Prepared by Basil Mortley
Education Programme Coordinator
November 2006.
Ministry of Education
iv
Foreword
The setting of quality standards for education signals a critical step in our strategy to establish a quality education system in Trinidad and Tobago. It represents a turning point from a Ministry dealing with the challenges of a traditional modus operandi to one that is in the vanguard of a global movement towards quality education. These standards are the engine of a reform process that entails not only restructuring and capacity building but also the establishment of a quality management system (QMS). The QMS will provide accountability and transparency whilst facilitating the transformation process.
As a consequence of a mandate to prepare all our citizenry, regardless of their circumstances, for work and life in the 21st century, these Standards were crafted to guide the management and administrative processes within the Ministry, to ensure that optimum services, resources and support are provided in order to enhance the performance of all learners. They were developed after extensive research, review of best practices and extensive consultations with numerous stakeholders. More importantly, they were produced after thorough assessment of our local situation, but with a clear understanding of our place in the regional and international community. On behalf of the Ministry of Education, I extend appreciation and gratitude to all who
Bibliography: professionals, as well as members of the public. Finally, they were crafted in the Jaeger (1995) mould, in which the notion of ‘should’ is inferred to define optimal circumstances that are grounded in a conceptual framework,