Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh said Cabinet has approved an initiative to allow students to ‘Dial-a-Teacher’ to assist those in need of extra assistance in preparation for the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) levels.
He said so during yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair.
He said students would be able to call a toll-free number “and connect with teachers specialised in various subject areas to receive tutoring and have problematic concepts explained.”
The minister added: “Alternatively, students can pose problems or questions to teachers on a blog and teachers, as well as peers, can respond appropriately.”
He said the teachers would be “housed at a central location of the Ministry of Education’s head office, which will be equipped with toll-free trunk lines provided by TSTT.”
Gopeesingh said the initiative “will allow students from all economically-challenged circumstances to access support from qualified tutors at no cost.”
He said suitable qualified and experienced teachers would be recruited to provide assistance and coach students to complete homework assignments.”
He said that also would be done at homework centres which were to be established soon across T&T.
Gopeesingh said teachers would assist at the SEA level in mathematics, English and language arts and at the CSEC level the subjects would be mathematics, English and integrated science.
The service would be available Monday to Thursday every week from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm, he added.
He said the measure would be implemented and executed “between now and May.”
A proposal to have remedial teachers go to primary schools to assist Standard Five students in need of help also was approved by Cabinet, Gopeesingh said.
The minister also said Cabinet agreed to a proposal for the development and implementation of a comprehensive ICT solution “to enhance students’ outcome through e-books and an education intelligence solution.”
He said Cabinet also agreed to offer 250 scholarships to teachers in the existing Caribbean vocational qualification skilled areas.
Gopeesingh said the scholarships would be offered at the University of T&T (UTT), National Energy Skills Centre (NESC) and the Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (YTEPP).
They would be implemented in two phases, each of a two-year duration, Gopeesingh added.
A joint steering committee was to be established to monitor the programme, he said.