THE COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION AND TRAINING COURSE HELPS IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS.
In a significant stride toward enhancing the quality of education in Saint Lucia, 55 educators have successfully completed their certification in Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) hosted by the St Lucia Council for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (SLCTVET). This achievement comes after weeks of intensive training and rigorous assessments, underscoring the commitment of these educators to advancing their professional skills and improving educational outcomes for students.
As the newly certified educators return to their classrooms, they bring with them enhanced capabilities to deliver high-quality, competency-based education.
Teachers said they appreciated the hands-on activities and the real-life scenarios that were incorporated into the curriculum, as it will allow them to create more targeted, outcome-driven lessons, so that students develop competencies essential to their success.
Minister for Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Hon. Shawn Edward stressed the importance of providing people with skills that can contribute to the advancement of the country.
“In Saint Lucia we have recognized that the quality of our human resource base more than anything else will determine whether Saint Lucia remains competitive or whether we perish in a very unforgiving and globally competitive environment. So when we establish four TVET institutes in Saint Lucia, we are not doing it because it is something fashionable in the world of education, but because we’ve understood based on the market surveys that have been carried out that there are certain deficiencies we have in our system that we need to correct very quickly. So a young adult who graduates from one of our TVET institutes should be ready for immersion into the world of work with skills beyond just your ability to read and write, but with values that will carry you in the world of work.”
Deputy Chief Education Officer Cyrus Cepal spoke to the gathering: “I commend this cohort of teachers graduating with CBET qualifications. You are a special group in society and we have a special set of students waiting for you. I know we will make Saint Lucia a better place.”
According to Executive Director Perry Thomas, the Saint Lucia TVET Council aims to certify 40 percent of teachers in competency-based education and training by 2025.
“TVET aims to transform the current approach to education and training. This includes the use of different modalities that emphasize the application of knowledge and skills, and the use of a range of teaching and learning modalities—including competency-based education and training, and an emphasis on the acquisition of skills, attitudes and values for decent employment, entrepreneurship and innovation.”
Thomas further explained that CBET is an outcome-based approach to learning that prioritizes the development of competencies or skills over the mere accumulation of knowledge. Unlike traditional education models that rely heavily on set time and cost completion, CBET emphasizes the mastery of skills and abilities that are directly applicable to the real world scenarios.