The seventeenth edition of KIX Conversations featured the participation of Don Howell, President of the Saint Lucia Teachers' Union and country representative in the KIX LAC Hub, who spoke about the importance of learning assessments and the role of teachers in this process. The interview was conducted by KIX LAC researcher, Manuela Pombo.
In this edition, Howell talked about the importance of learning assessments as a tool to inform rather than categorize. Likewise, he mentioned the need for the assessments to be inclusive, promote equality, equity and social justice and to include social, emotional, civic and ethical considerations in order to guarantee equity in the educational system: ”As we evolve and grow as Caribbean people, we identify needs that are unique to our country and that we must integrate into our educational system… the world is evolving, we want to ensure that our citizens can compete globally once they leave a Caribbean school. That is why our school must put our students in a position to operate or function anywhere in the world. To do this, we need to train and educate our teachers.”
Howell calls for a review of what is happening at teachers’ college to assess whether the program really responds to the needs of the educational system and supports teachers, and to explore how the university can play a decisive role in continuing professional development, not only in certification, but in teachers’ continuing professional development. The Union is advocating for the creation of a committee comprising the Union, the Ministry of Education, schools and the school administration, and teachers’ college. This committee would lead this discussion around teacher training, determine its direction and set standards so that teachers’ college can become an integral part of what happens in the education systems of the Caribbean.
Watch the recording on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN16MUVGDAA
