The Honourable Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Dr Mahendra Reddy this week opened the annual corporate planning workshop at the Pearl Resort in Pacific Harbour for the Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts.
The workshop is an avenue used by the senior staff of the ministry to deliberate and strategise their deliverables for 2015.
Minister Reddy, in his keynote address, highlighted the importance of corporate planning and its impact on service delivery.
“Corporate planning is important as it ensures that resources are not duplicated. It also defines the sequence of activities that will achieve the desired outcomes and provides the opportunity to consult all those involved and affected in service delivery,” Dr Reddy said.
“While you plan for the ministry, you need to keep in mind the desired output and how the resources needed are obtained at a very competitive process. Resources are limited and thus the issues of best use and accountability arises. We are all accountable for the work we do. We are accountable for the use of the resources that we are given. We are accountable to a variety of people, but foremost to the teachers, students and the communities we serve.
“We need to work in unison towards our mission to reclaim the roles of teachers in the classrooms. Teaching, teacher role, content, delivery and quality infrastructure should feature prominently in the planning process.”
Minister Reddy gave mention to the introduction of debates in all schools.
“We should introduce debates in both primary and secondary schools. This will develop questions within the minds of students and groom them to become critical thinkers. This will ensure that we develop a sound and vibrant education system that develop students to their full capacity,” he said.
Minister Reddy urged the Ministry of education to work closely with the Higher Education sector and help raise the quality of students trained through the education system.
The workshop ends on Friday, 14th of November.