Trinidad Education
Trinidad Education
Trinidad Education
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
The following general guidelines are intended for implementation at both Primary and Secondary Level
Schools in Trinidad and Tobago with respect to curriculum coverage and operations in Term I 2020/21,
in the first instance. The Guidelines for reopening of school dated 9th July, 2020 should be referred
to ensure necessary protocols are in place for accommodating all staff, and for possible student
attendance in Term 2.
GENERAL INFORMATION
a) The Term One for Academic year 2020-2021 will commence on September l, 2020 and end
on December 11, 2020. Teachers will resume duty on September 1, 2020 and curriculum
delivery for students will begin on September 7th - 14th 2020.
b) Students are not expected to report to schools for classes during Term I 2020/21 unless further
advised
c) Teachers are expected to take responsibility for delivery of the curriculum to students via remote
methods using hybrid learning
d) School buildings are to remain open and resources are to be fully available for use by teachers as
required in the delivery of the curriculum
e) Work from home arrangements for teachers should be approved by principals once the delivery
of the curriculum to students is not compromised
f) Suggested activities between:
September 1st - September 4th: Teacher Training and Planning
g) Learning materials will also be available to students on the MOE’s School Learning Management
System (SLMS), on TV, Radio and Social and Print Media.
h) Parents will be expected to play a critical role in the supervision of their
children
i) The School feeding program will operate with modified logistics. 500 lunches per day will be
delivered to MP Offices for distribution via Village Councils, religious institutions or other groups
to children in communities who require it.
j) Online Counselling will continue for students who need to access this service from schools.
Teaching and learning should begin during the period September 7th- 14th, 2020.
ALL SCHOOLS SHOULD BE FULLY ENGAGED IN TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES BY
SEPTEMBER 14th, 2020.
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MODE OF DELIVERY
Category 1 students
Online teaching will be conducted following a scheduled timetable which will be made available. Students are
expected to engage in the scheduled activities. Assignments will be uploaded and students will complete and
submit online for feedback and correction. (See “Proposed Timetable Guides below)
Teachers will utilise the modified Curriculum Guide in preparing for the online classes. The Curriculum Guide
will be made accessible on the SLMS
Assignments will be uploaded and students will complete and submit online for correction and feedback.
Category 2 students
Packages for students will be prepared using the modified Curriculum Guide. Packages to be picked up on a
weekly basis.
Completed assignments will be dropped off by parents/students on same day of collection of new packages.
Teachers will be expected to collect assignments, correct and give written feedback.
Students will get extra assistance through Television, Radio programmes, Social and Print media.
1. Student and Parent orientation via Television (TV) and the MOE Social Media platforms will include
guidelines for time management and how to support a positive learning environment.
2. Instructional features via TV, Radio and Print Media.
o TV : initial focus on Standards 4 and 5 SEA preparation to expand to other year groups.
o Radio: focus on patriotism, culture, historical features, Modern Languages.
o Print: focus on pull outs containing activities and answers once a week for ECCE, infants and
lower Primary levels.
3. Provision of guidelines for teachers on:
o The production of print material for remote learning
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o Navigating the School Learning Management System
o Teaching in an online environment
4. Reduction of curriculum for Term 1 2020/21 focusing on mastery of the core objectives / skills
5. Supply of printed resource material to schools through District Offices for replication purposes.
6. Launch of the “Adopt a School” device donation program targeting corporate Trinidad and Tobago,
Chambers of Industry and Alumni Associations
7. Acquisition of devices to increase the level of student participation in online classes
8. Proposal for the narrowing of the SEA Curriculum.
9. Distribution of MOE-produced SEA booklets to schools to be used by Standards 4 and 5 students
10. Continued development and creation of content in specific areas for publication on TV, Radio, Social
Media and the MOE’s School Learning Management System (SLMS)
11. Provision of guidelines for school timetables as given below:
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PROPOSED TIMETABLE GUIDES
Lunch Prep To promote wellness and encourage good eating habits, develop
11:30 – conversation skills and appropriate social behaviours
Lunch Break &
12:30
Clean up
12:30 – To bring closure to the day. Have discussions based on the day’s activities.
Recall
12:45
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PROPOSED TIMETABLE GUIDES - 10 Day Cycle
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PRIMARY- Minimum of 4 sessions per day
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PROPOSED TIMETABLE GUIDES - 10 Day Cycle
Department meetings are to be carded once per cycle. Sessions can be shortened on the schedule to facilitate
such. The same will apply for monthly staff meetings. The Principal may also consider the idea of assigning
stwo (2) teachers for a class where one (1) handles Category 1 students and another will work with Category 2
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students. Principals must alert the Ministry of Education (Human Resource Division) to critical vacancies that
exist.
SEA recommendations:
o reduction in the number of topics to be examined
o consideration given to having the exam in June-July
o specification of the type of writing to be tested for exam
CVQ suggestion:
o reduction in practical component
18. Provision of 500 lunches daily through the National School Dietary Services Limited (NSDSL) program
to MP Offices for distribution to children in communities.
RESPONSIBILITY OF SCHOOLS
1. Provide all parents with a booklist
2. Facilitate end of term reports based on continuous assessment
3. Suspend practical components of CSEC and CAPE and CVQ subjects for Term I- these should be
completed in Term II 2020/ 21
4. Schedule departmental and School Based Management meetings once per cycle, as well as monthly staff
meetings.
5. Ensure that the responsibility of instruction for each class is assigned to a teacher.
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6. Institute monitoring arrangements for the teaching and learning process:
Heads of Department and Principals to have access to online classes on the Ministry of
Education SLMS or any other platform on which classes are being held.
Standardized instruments for clinical supervision to be completed
Ensure that printed packages with worksheets are consistently distributed and returned at least
once weekly for students who are offline.
Keep student attendance records which should submitted to Principals/Heads of
Department/Senior Teachers on a daily basis by teachers
Forward details of students who display continued absenteeism to School Support Services for
action.
Fortnightly reporting by Heads of Departments to Principals on teacher activity.
Fortnightly reporting by Principals to Supervisors.
All data will be monitored by the Line School Supervisors and Curriculum Officers. Issues
identified will be discussed at the weekly District Leadership Team (DLT) meetings and any
necessary intervention/action can be formulated and actioned. The major divisions that will be
involved in addressing concerns are:
oThe Curriculum Planning and Development Division (CPDD) The HOD will be
asked to report on findings based on Clinical Supervision. If the teaching strategy
employed by the teacher needs to be improved upon, the assistance of the CPDD will be
sought.
o The Teacher Training Unit- If the teacher has not employed any strategy and appears
to have merely digitalised the lesson, then the assistance of the Teacher Training Unit
will be sought.
o The Student Support Services Division (SSSD) - If student absenteeism, short attention
span of student or any other student specific issue is observed, then the student will be
referred to the SSSD.
School visits will also be conducted by line supervisors as well as by the District Leadership
Team. At these visits, the Management team must be present. Targeted interventions will be
identified and implemented.
7. Ensure that Guidance Officers/Counsellors and School Social Workers have published schedules and/or
contact numbers provided.
8. All schools are expected to provide timetables for students outlining class times and mode of delivery
9. Establish Parent / Teacher communication via telephone / WhatsApp/Email.
10. Provide Orientation activities for parents, students and teachers
11. Provide resources for successful delivery of the curriculum to all teachers
12. Enforce a strict, casual, yet professional dress code for students participating in the online platform. The
use of school uniforms is not mandatory.
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13. Schools should consider the production of specific orientation manual /sessions for first time intakes
and their parents.
RESPONSIBILITY OF TEACHERS
1. Teachers are expected to report for duty on September 1st
2. Teachers are to ensure that the curriculum is delivered to all assigned students
3. Teachers who do not have access to connectivity will be expected to report to school to conduct online
classes. For schools with no internet capabilities, access to alternative schools will be accommodated.
4. Access school resources for preparation of printed packages where necessary and available.
10. Produce packages that contain instruction via flash drive / paper for collection at schools by students
who cannot access the online environment
11. Formulate separate instructional packages for children with developmental delays
12. Keep student attendance records which should be submitted to Principals on a daily basis
13. Teachers are to complete and submit by the deadline dates, instruments designed for monitoring.
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Should be aware of the availability of School Guidance Officers and School Social Workers,
and utilize their services as necessary
Should make contact with teachers via their preferred mechanism and obtain regular feedback
about their child’s performance and level of engagement
Should obtain the email address for the district office to provide feedback if necessary regarding
the teaching and learning process
Are expected to be familiar with the range of learning resources available and ensure that their
children make use of them during the school term
Should ensure that children dress and behave appropriately in the online environment
Should seek to provide an environment that is conducive to the teaching and learning process for
the student’s maximum benefit.
Should ensure that all assignments are completed by the students in a timely manner
Can make arrangements through MP Offices in their area of residence for their children to receive
lunches through the School Feeding program.
MoE
Teachers/Principal
Parents
Students
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COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS
Schools must establish and maintain communication links with parents.
Category 1: Students with mild to moderate needs for academic and social emotional
Category 2: Students with mild to moderate needs for academic and social emotional
Category 3: Students with needs for academic and social emotional support that require
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Additionally, individual and group counselling, ongoing consultation and support with parents,
principals and teachers as well as parent education sessions will be facilitated using the
Microsoft 365 Platform inclusive of SLMS.
Special Education
Special Education Officers assigned to SSSD provide direct individualized and therapeutic
interventions for students with diagnosed disabilities or other identified special education
needs.
Using a scheduled timetable, Special Education Teachers and Instructors will continue to
provide consultation and therapeutic support to students referred to the Special Education
Unit. Wherever possible, individual support to identified students will be made available
using various platforms, based on the objectives outlined in the student’s Individualised
Education Plan (IEP).
Students with special education needs will participate in online instruction made available
by regular classroom teachers in whose classes these students are enrolled. Regular
Education Teacher will have access to Special education personnel, for the purposes of
consultation, provision of modified instructional strategies and learning resources for the
planned lessons based on the modified Curriculum Guide.
Special education personnel at Public Special Schools will provide a minimum of three
structured instructional sessions per day based on the established curriculum and the
students’ current level of functioning.
In preparing for the online classes, the modified Curriculum Guide, which is accessible on
the SLMS, will be utilized by teachers.
All students enrolled in regular schools will participate in scheduled assessments assigned
by the regular education teachers as far as possible.
Detailed mechanism for monitoring and evaluation will be based on the student’s
Individualised Education Programme(IEP) for all specialized intervention.
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Collaborative IEP development and implementation will continue to be supported through
the strengthening of the multidisciplinary involvement in IEP development and
implementation.
Category 2 Students
Developmental, Assessment, Intervention
Psychologists will prepare packages that guide parents and students in areas of need.
Special Education
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Category 3 Students
• Psychologists will be available per educational district wherever possible at schools where
appropriate social distancing is available at least two days per week between 9 and 3 pm
• Emphasis will be on completing psychoeducational assessments and critical mental health
intervention
Special Education
A listing of students requiring face to face engagement will be developed per education district
Listings of available regular education teachers who work with these students will be developed
Where suitable classrooms are available that facilitate social distancing, student aides will be
deployed to work collaboratively with teachers/special education personnel
Where appropriate practice packages will be prepared for students by special education
teachers/instructors/regular ed teachers using the modified Curriculum Guide.
Teachers will be expected to collect assignments, correct and provide written feedback.
Students will get extra support and opportunities for review through available online,
television and radio programming.
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ACCOUNTABILITY
Officers across all units will be assigned deliverables by respective coordinators, specialists and
supervisor, and approved by the Manager.
Officers will have the option of working from office, home, or school. Arrangements will be
determined by September 3, 2020.
Officer’s weekly performance and timely completion reports must be submitted to Manager who
will forward to CEO and PS with comment.
Officers will be expected to confirm that they have connectivity and commitment to online
delivery or will be expected to report to a determined site for online delivery. Where students have
no internet capabilities, officers will be expected to report to school sites to prepare necessary
packages or engage students with appropriate social distancing and PPE.
Attendance and daily report on deliverables will be determined and monitored by SSSD’s
Research Officer in collaboration with Unit Leads.
Student attendance and absenteeism data will be forwarded to the SSSD-Research Officer and
SSW for further follow up.
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