Catholic Education Project
The Archdiocese of Port of Spain Archbishop’s Appeal is inviting Catholics to support an ambitious, nation-wide project to help revamp the overall education experience of all RC school children.
There are 118 Public (Government Assisted) Primary and 5 Secondary Schools managed by the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM). They provide education for some 30,000 children of all creeds and races. Overall students of the Catholic faith represent approximately of 50% of the population but in some schools, they are in the minority. These schools span the length and breadth of our islands, urban and rural, in every corner of Trinidad and Tobago, and a main pastoral mission of Catholic schools worldwide is to serve children and communities that are often socially and economically disadvantaged. In some thirty-one (31) communities, Catholic schools are the only option for primary schooling, as many Catholic schools are established in small remote villages and over fifty-five (55), or approximately half, of these schools are in the poorest regional corporations.
The project, ‘The Archdiocese of Trinidad and Tobago Catholic Education Plan: Mitigating the effects of socio-economic development challenges through education’ aims to provide high quality education for children in the RC schools.
Within all RC Primary schools, there remain groups of students whose academic performance signals that their learning needs are not being effectively met, and with the introduction of the Covid-19 virus to Trinidad and Tobago, many of these needs and challenges have been greatly exacerbated.
Education research has identified that in developing countries, children in the poorest households systematically score below children in the richest households. Such disparities are known to result in persistent, intergenerational poverty gaps because the lack of education among segments of a society feed into economic and political inequalities, driving differences in life chances and opportunities. (Poverty and shared prosperity 2016; World Bank).
The research and our own experience in Trinidad and Tobago reveal that children from low-income families are over-represented among students with low academic performance, and at least half of the Catholic Primary schools serve children from the poorest Regional Corporations. At the same time, in 2019 it was determined that some 3,674 students who attend Catholic primary schools live in areas designated “Hot Spots” by the security forces: areas such as Laventille, Cameron Hill, Moruga, La Romaine and Carapo. In these communities, crime and violence are a way of life and part of the daily experiences that shape the values, dreams and aspirations of the young people growing up in them. These children often experience negative effects of both their socioeconomic background as well as low expectations of themselves in relation to education - we need to ensure that they receive support.
The demand for devices (Tablets, Laptops, Desktop computers) due to the transition to online learning is largely being met thanks to the efforts of CEBM, however previously vulnerable students remain those most at-risk due to the low availability of internet connectivity or electricity to support online classes and at-home supervision of students to ensure their participation in learning activities.
Interventions to provide a quality education to every child in RC Primary Schools:
Through your support, together with the efforts of the Archdiocese of Port-of-Spain, we’ll be able to provide much needed support to the education of our children most in need through the following interventions:
Early screening and assessment of students for learning disabilities and ensure professional & developmental support is provided.
Ensure Support for Mental & Emotional Health, through professional services & community support systems.
Engagement of parents/guardians in school activities & their children’s learning and development process.
Sourcing and Engaging Student Support Services and directing them to services and organizations that will be able to support their specific needs.
Ongoing professional development of teachers at all levels to increase their effectiveness to meet the learning needs of all students and so improve student achievement.
Provision of curriculum and other resources to students for holistic development: furniture, books, didactic materials, technology devices with connectivity.
Upgrade of school facilities. International studies have shown that attending a school with sufficient physical learning spaces, that is, a school with drinking water, bathrooms, electricity, telephone, library, some space for sport or student meetings and classrooms equipped with the basic materials is generally associated with better school learning. (Murnan, R and Ganimian, A; 2014)
Human resource enhancements at the staffing levels of the schools and Catholic Education Board to facilitate proper management and leadership of the activities described above, creating successful leaders who:
Drive teaching and learning for improved instruction.
Lead an effective and vibrant school culture.
Develop teachers talents and monitoring and supporting their performance.
Effectively leverage tools of time, budget, schedule and operations to support the school vision of success.
Impact
Students
Proficiency in basic life skills that include reading, language, numeracy, thinking skills, cultural information and financial literacy.
Holistic development that includes: social, intellectual, physical, spiritual and emotional well being and ensuring that basic needs are met.
Education will be seen as a transformation vision for low-income students to be able to transition successfully from a socio-economically challenged community.
Readiness for secondary schooling - knowledge, skills and the valuing process.
Teachers
Achievement of coherent, innovative, effective learning environments.
Demonstrating Leadership that is transformational, instructional, moral, participatory and managerial.
Emphasizing learning that is student-centered, standards-, outcome- and network-based.
Parents
Creation of learning environment in the home.
Improvement of knowledge, skills and self-value of their parenting practices.
A handful of schools have been identified as being in need of immediate support: Diego Martin Girls’ and Boys’ RC, Petit Valley Girls’ and Boys’ RC, Sacred Heart Girls’ and Boys’ RC, Mucurapo Girls’ and Boys’ RC, St Rose’s Girls’ RC, and Rosary Boys’ RC, among others. The children of these schools are in the most dire need of assistance, and together we can offer them the support they need.
Our mission as the Archdiocese of Port-of-Spain is to ensure quality and holistic education is provided at each and every one of our RC schools, to enable each child to achieve their potential as a child of God, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, and as a member of the world community.
You can help us to accomplish this initiative though direct donations using the link below, and you can also help by following us on Social Media and Catholic News and participating in all of our fundraising & community promotions.
Together we can create a brighter future for the children of our nation!
If you have any questions/concerns, or would like to know ways you can help, you can reach out to us at any time for more information!
Pandemic Reflections - Student Voices
Listen to the stories of 4 Holy Name Convent students as they share their experiences living through the Covid-19 pandemic, and reflect upon the impact it's had on their lives, the nation & their education.