DEPARTMENTS

Information Technology and Quality Assurance Unit

The Information Technology and Quality Assurance Unit (ITQAU) is a legacy department of the Education Sector Enhancement Programme (ESEP), familiarly known as EduTech. Renamed in 2017, this Unit previously known as the Programme Coordinating Unit (PCU) is responsible for the ESEP, a comprehensive education reform programme, which seeks to increase the number of young persons contributing to the sustainable social, cultural and economic development through the use of information technology.  

 

The overall goal of the programme is to:

  • Prepare students who are creative, numerate, literate, well-trained and readily re-trainable at any point in their development;
  • Ensure that all students understand the necessity of being able to live and work harmoniously with other persons in their environment;
  • Increase the efficacy of the teaching/learning process by encouraging teachers to shift to child-centred and more collaborative forms of learning in their classrooms;
  • promote the use of information technology in the teaching/learning process; and
  • ensure that all children leave school with the basic skills and abilities that are required to participate productively in the skill and technology-driven labour market.The specific objectives of the Programme are to:
  • repair and upgrade the existing school plant;
  • integrate all available information and communications technologies within the school system;
  • provide teacher training to enhance pedagogical skills;
  • achieve the desired balance between teacher-centred and child-centred approaches; and
  • strengthen the capacity of the Ministry to effectively manage the education system.

Under the Education Sector Enhancement Programme (ESEP), the ITQAU’s purview includes the acquisition of electronic devices for use by students and teachers, the provision of fence-to-fence wireless internet connectivity and voice/telephone services at nursery, primary and secondary schools, guidance to Principals and Information Technology Coordinators (ITCs) on technology-related matters and training to the staff of the Ministry and schools as deemed necessary. In addition to the ESEP, the ITQAU is responsible for the acquisition of robotics kits for the Coding and Robotics Programme executed at all levels of the education system.

The Programme has four inter-related components:

  • Civil Works- physical rehabilitation of school facilities to enhance the physical and learning environment;
  • Technological Infrastructure- procurement and installation of hardware, software and technical infrastructure for the school system and the Ministry of Education;
  • Human Resource Development
    – Teacher Training – training of teaching and administrative staff within the school system;
    – Institutional Strengthening – training and technical support for personnel from the Ministry and related institutions; and
  • Curriculum Reform – revision of the curriculum to meet emerging needs within the Barbadian society.