Overview

The Ministry of Education launched the Adopt A School (AAS) Programme in September 2020 as a call to action for Corporate T&T, NGOs and other entities to support the educational needs of students.  This phase was characterized by the donation of 22 000 devices to schools for children who were in need. While corporate support and involvement in schools as not new, the AAS programme provides a framework for companies to best utilize its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) resources strategically and where it will have the greatest impact for students. Phase 1 of the programme rolled out over the course of one year from September 2020 with donations of devices ongoing.

Phase 2 of the Adopt A School Programme was launched in 2022 and presented a framework for partnership between the corporate sector and schools that included but not limited to:

1. School Beautification Project
2. Development & Educational Programmes
3. Multi-Media Equipment
4. Digital Transformation
5. Health & Wellness
6. Safety & Pandemic Protection

The Ministry of Education is grateful for the support of Corporate Trinidad and Tobago which has seen schools and students benefit from infrastructural and equipment grades, beautification projects such as the Mural Project as well as several developmental programmes for students. However, for Trinidad and Tobago to be best positioned to achieve the developmental goal set out in Vision 2030, a different approach is required in the education system. This reality prompted a complete review of the education system over a two-year period, involving the national population as well as all stakeholders in the education system. The result of this is the Education Policy 2023-2027 which provides the road map for the transformation of the education system, the goal of which is to produce a workforce with readiness skills like problem solving, innovativeness, creativity along with entrepreneurial abilities. A workforce of ideal citizens who possess positive values, attitudes and behaviours (VABs).

The achievement of Vision 2030 relies on the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago possessing and displaying positive VABs and education is considered a vehicle for developing citizens with this positive attributes; attributes that will drive the development trajectory of the country toward the realization of Vision 2030. This transformation therefore goes beyond academics, it is cultural and to truly be effective, it must be supported by all sectors, it calls for all hands on deck.

Fast forward to 2023, Phase 3 of the Adopt a School programme must get to the heart of Trinidad and Tobago’s education system. Its focus is reform, it calls for the inculcation of positive VABs, and adjustments of the school curriculum, timetabling, assessment and student experiences to prioritize not only academic education, but moral, physical, cultural and arts education, and the development of technical, life and 21st Century skills.  It is not a quick fix but will take consistency, commitment and corporate Trinidad and Tobago.

Transformation of the Education System: The Education Policy 2023-2027

Commencing in September 2023, the Education Policy 2023-2027 delineates its comprehensive approach across Eight (8) Strategic Areas of Focus While endorsement and commitment to all eight pillars are appreciated, emphasis is directed towards the pivotal domain of Cultural Transformation through Curriculum Reform.

Objectives

The overarching objective of the AAS programme is to create a long-term meaningful partnership with the Ministry of Education which provides schools with vital resources and networks to facilitate the establishment of long-term philanthropic relationships between the corporate & education sectors. The benefits of adoption for donors and sponsor included:

Building a culture of philanthropy in T&T
Improved school-community relations
Improved corporate image (brand alignment)
Enabling better quality education for all students
Enabling a more educated workforce
A 150 percent tax allowance of up to $500,000 on corporate sponsorship to public and private schools registered with the Ministry of Education effective January 1, 2024. 

PHASE 3 : The Cultural Transformation in TT Education System

Phase 3 of the Adopt a School project seeks to garner support for progammes and initiatives that provided students with:

• an adjusted curriculum which prioritizes the development areas of academic, moral, physical, culture and the arts, and TVET;
• a range of mandatory school experiences which will promote the development of life and 21st century skills;
• opportunities to cultivate knowledge, values, attitudes and behaviours which allow them to practise good citizenship;
• an education which helps them contribute to the overall development of Trinidad and Tobago, socially, culturally, politically, or economically;
• skills that allow them to emulate pro-social attributes of exemplary national iconic persons;
• tools to foster co-operation between students, teachers and other staff members to elevate socially and economically disadvantaged groups.
• awareness of their environment and the need to protect it from pollution and the energy crises.

The Patriotism Policy is a new sub policy under the Education Policy and provides an exhaustive list of opportunities for involvement and partnership.  The key areas of focus include but are not limited to:  

1. Strengthening patriotic education instruction
2. Providing the atmosphere for the participation of students/citizens in a democratic process
3. Facilitating active Citizenship
4. Fostering society-wide support of experiences which engender positive feelings toward Trinidad and Tobago.
5. Demonstration of knowledge and respect for the national symbols
6. Respect the religious, political and moral beliefs of peers

The Ministry of Education has outlined specific activities and operational guidelines, some mandatory, for schools to effect the desired changed. These provide an opportunity for direct involvement by Corporate Trinidad and Tobago, Faith Based organization and Non-Governmental Organizations.

The Benefits of the Cultural Transformation Programme

1. Students learn core values including discipline, production, tolerance, civic responsibility.
2. Promotes cohesiveness and TT’s history
3. Workforce readiness skills like problem-solving, innovativeness, and creativity along with entrepreneurial abilities
4. Introduce annual career awareness and development programmes;
5. Establish a system of volunteerism at all levels of the education system;
6. Provide opportunities for practicing good citizenship, and participating in activities that create a sense of morality among the nation’s youth;
7. Promote community-based involvement in education and parental support;
8. Opportunity for students to have access to appropriate educational guidance at all stages
9. The preservation/conservation of culture which refers to education and appreciation of cultural heritage and legacy.
10. Cultural learning or Cultural transmission
11. Cultural identity refers to identification with, or sense of belonging to, a particular group based on various cultural categories, including nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, and religion.
12. A need to improve the quality, amount and strength of educational opportunities provided to learners, in an effort to guide the development trajectory of Trinidad and Tobago toward the realization of Vision 2030,
13. A significant contribution towards reducing the level of deviant and criminal behaviour among the nation’s youth.

In the Academic Year 2023/2024, students will be exposed to a range of mandatory school experiences which will promote the development of life and 21st Century skills and holistic development. These experiences as well as mandatory activities are captured in the framework for Corporate support.

Framework for Corporate Support