The Schools’ Inspectorate is taking a closer look at the quality of physical education in schools and has enlisted the help of Carole Raymond, an overseas inspector. Ms. Raymond has a wealth of experience and expertise in this area, having served as the national point of reference for PE for Her Majesty’s Inspectorate in England.
Accompanied in most cases by a member of the Schools’ Inspectorate, Ms. Raymond will visit several schools during the month of March, to observe PE lessons and speak with students, school staff and peripatetic PE teachers. Included in this list are The Lighthouse School, Red Bay Primary, North Side, Cayman Prep, Cayman Brac High, John Gray High, Creek and Spot Bay, First Baptist, and Savannah Primary.
In addition to the Primary school visits, Ms. Raymond will also visit a selection of pre-schools with Kate Marnoch, Head of the Early Childhood Unit.
Chief Inspector of Schools, Helena McVeigh said that ‘PE is an essential part of the school curriculum, and serves the dual purpose of helping to develop young people’s physical skills, whilst making them aware of the role that physical activity plays in a healthy lifestyle. The curriculum review for Cayman Islands’ schools recognises these inherent benefits’ she continued, and made reference to the draft document which states that ‘A healthy, physically active lifestyle is conducive to more effective participation in all that society has to offer and to greater levels of success within and beyond school.’
Whilst on Island, Ms. Raymond will have an opportunity to meet with representatives from the Ministry of Education, Training, Employment, Youth, Sports & Culture, and with representatives from the Ministry of Health. This is especially important given the link between physical activity and health, and the growing international concern regarding student fitness in school, and the impact this can have on future health.
Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Minister of Education confirmed that this initiative has been timed so that the findings could be incorporated into plans for the learning communities framework which is currently underway, as well as feeding into the sports consultancy review which is in its early stages. ‘This is a good example of the Ministry’s student centric focus,’ he said ‘whereby the activities and services that impact students are all pulled together and considered holistically rather than in a piece-meal fashion. I welcome Ms. Raymond’s involvement in this process and look forward to receiving her report at the conclusion of this review.’
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