Education officials, employers and parents have been asking the same questions for years, according to Education Officer Connie George.
“Why is the education system not preparing the young people for the Virgin Islands today? What has gone wrong with the system? Why such a disparity between the education product and the demands of the job market?” Ms. George said, adding that the problem has given “education technocrats” and others plenty to think about as they try to ensure that the system keeps pace with the territory’s rapid growth and development.
While there have been several “remarkable success stories,” the gap between most graduates’ readiness and the needs of the economy has grown steadily, Ms. George said. Today, she added, the VI labour force is made up of about 70 percent foreign workers.
Ms. George was speaking to about 100 parents and other community members gathered at Sir Rupert Briercliffe Hall Tuesday evening to talk about the government’s plan to add another year of secondary education at VI public schools.
Improving the system will require a slew of changes to the system, some of which have already begun, Ms. George said. To truly “give our students a fighting chance” as they enter the increasingly competitive higher education system and job market, she added, they need more instructional time.
She also said that the additional year will be inserted at the beginning of secondary schooling. This means that under the proposed system students will continue to finish the primary level after class five, then advance to high school for six years of schooling instead of the current five.
See the Feb. 20, 2014 edition for full coverage.
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