About
The Patriotism Policy, along with its Implementation Strategy, is dedicated to nurturing a sense of nationhood and a deep love for country within the student population. It is designed with the primary objective of empowering citizens to actively participate in, preserve and advance Trinidad and Tobago’s unique cultural artforms. It aims to achieve this by fostering the development of a shared national identity, and inculcating students with patriotic principles.
This policy places a strong emphasis on cultivating students’ interest in taking ownership of their country and its progress, particularly considering concerns about a growing disengagement of young individuals from civic and national institutions (Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, 2008). Consequently, it serves as a tool to disseminate essential national principles and processes across the populace, encouraging and enabling responsible citizenship and cultural confidence.
Goals
The Patriotism Policy is intended to:
- Strengthen patriotic education instruction by ensuring schools establish and implement educational goals, civic competency outcomes, course content, and high-engagement instructional pedagogies;
- Provide the atmosphere for the participation of students/citizens in the decision making and implementation processes;
- Reinforce the need for greater inclusion and participation among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and schools, in relation to age appropriate national initiatives;
- Facilitate active citizenship through the strategic engagement of students in the civic and democratic life of Trinidad and Tobago; and
- Foster society-wide support in the provision of experiences which engender positive feelings toward the country of Trinidad and Tobago
Target Audience
The Patriotism Policy is directed toward the following groups:
- Staff members of the Ministry of Education
- School Supervisors and Principals
- Educators
- Parents/Guardians
- Students
- Stakeholders associated with the Ministry of Education
Key Activities/Elements
The Patriotism Policy will work within the school curriculum to facilitate active citizenship by students in the civic and democratic life of Trinidad and Tobago through:
- Assembly
Basic school procedures must involve maintaining morning assemblies to promote school spirit and allegiance to Trinidad and Tobago.
- National Songs, Poems and Literature
To engender patriotic feelings, students at all levels must be taught national songs/ poems, to be sung/recited at appropriate times.
- Technology Education
Patriotism can be introduced through a mix of skills to facilitate both cognitive development through problem solving, and critical thinking and psychomotor development through TVET skills.
- Health and Family Life Education (HLFE)
Patriotism is endorsed in the primary curriculum through the following content areas: respect, loyalty to self, the neighbourhood, the national community, patriotism, responsibility towards the environment, the talents and contributions of others, loyalty to country, and conservation and preservation.
At the secondary level, patriotism is promoted in the following content areas: self-concept, careers, and showing care and concern for the environment.
- ICT and subject curricula encompassing the following disciplines:
- English Language Arts (ELA)
- Mathematics
- Science
- Agricultural Science
- Physical Education
- Spanish and Modern Languages
- Social Sciences
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Music
- Drama
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