Mission Statement

The mission of the Core Curriculum Unit is to design, develop and review curricula and essential curricula support material, which form the basis for quality primary and secondary education. These curricula documents are intended to ensure that pupils develop the skills and competencies needed for personal achievement, and creative and productive citizenship.

Areas of Responsibility

Policies

Provide advice/information, as requested, for input into the development of Ministry of Education, (MOE)/Government of Jamaica (GOJ) policies, on curriculum-related issues.

Curriculum Development & Implementation

• Research, design, develop and review curricula and support materials for grades one to eleven (grades 1 - 11), in the education system, as well as monitor the pilot phase of curriculum implementation in the system.
• Audit the training needs of teachers of grades 1 - 13 in the system, then develop and execute relevant training programmes to assist these teachers, in collaboration with the Professional Development Unit (PDU), project personnel, MOE consultants, supervisory Education Officers, and other relevant personnel.
• Evaluate and monitor the delivery of curricula at grades 1 - 13, and develop and execute appropriate intervention strategies to enable effective delivery of subject programmes, in collaboration with supervisory Education Officers, project personnel and other relevant personnel.

Materials Development

Develop prototypes to the 'camera-ready' stage, needed materials that will enhance the delivery of curricula in grades 1 - 9, in collaboration with the Media Services Unit (MSU); MOE consultants; local, regional and international agencies; government organizations and non-governmental bodies.

Consultative Services

• Work with project personnel; MOE consultants; personnel from local, regional and international agencies; government organizations and non-governmental bodies on curricula-related matters.
• Collaborate with the PDU; Tertiary Unit; subject associations; book publishing firms; and other local, regional and international bodies in sensitising teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions to syllabus/curriculum changes; new/current texts, equipment and materials; available multi-media materials; and other curricula-related matters of relevance.
• Represent the Ministry at curriculum-related fora, conferences, seminars and meetings.
• Collaborate with the Student Assessment Unit (SAU), Joint Board of Teacher Education (JBTE), Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), and other local, regional and international bodies, in the developing/vetting/marking of items for national & regional examinations, as well as assisting in the practicum assessment of student-teachers from the teacher-training institutions.

Projects/activities that the Unit is involved in

CAPE – Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination – (CXC) exam that is the equivalent of the ‘A-level’.
CSEC – Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate – (CXC) exam for grade 11 students.
CXC – Caribbean Examinations Council – Regional exam setting body, with a sub-office at Caenwood.
GSAT – Grade Six Achievement Test – Curriculum-based test that replaced the ‘Common Entrance’.
IDB – Inter-American Development Bank – A multi-lateral agency that funds some MOEYC projects.
JBTE – Joint Board of Teacher Education – Co-ordinates all teacher-training in the colleges.
NHP – New Horizons Project – funded by USAID with literacy/numeracy focus, began 1998 in 72 primary schools using the RPC.
PEIP II – Primary Education Improvement Project – Developed the RPC and ended 1999.
PESP – Primary Education Support Project – To begin in 2001, for implementing the RPC in schools islandwide.
ROSE – Reform of Secondary Education (Project) – Developed the National grades 7 – 9 curricula, ending in December 2000.
RPC – Revised Primary Curriculum – Implemented in selected schools from September 2000.
USAID – United States Agency for International Development – Agency that funds MOEYC projects.

Where do I get curriculum documents?

The national primary curriculum has been revised and is now being implemented in 145 primary schools and about 48 preparatory schools, where the teachers have been trained to implement the curriculum. All other primary schools continue to work with the present primary curriculum.

The system-wide implementation of the Revised Primary Curriculum (RPC) will begin with phased implementation from September 2001. All secondary institutions should be using the national grades 7 – 9 curriculum (ROSE) by January 2001.

The Unit has copies of the Mathematics SSC syllabus and School-Based Assessment Guide, and some Science SSC Units. CXC syllabi can be obtained from the CXC Office at Caenwood (for a fee). Some copies of grades 4 – 6 for the present primary curriculum are available from the Functional Education Section of the CCU.

Why is Religious Education (R.E.) part of the Cultural Studies Section?

The subject areas in this section, sometimes collectively called the aesthetics, place greater emphasis on the affective domain – emotions, attitudes and values – than the cognitive domain. Thus R. E., given its focus on self and interaction with others, is correctly seen as part of the Cultural Studies subject areas.