'To
provide a high quality education service that is cost
effective and meets the needs of individuals and the
Island'
The Education
Department aims:
to
meet statutory requirements laid down in the
Education Ordinance
to
support vocational education and training
to
provide pre-school education
to
encourage adult education
to
seek opportunities for overseas studies for young
people
to
encourage parents to participate in the education
of their children
to
promote the social, educational and sporting
opportunities available to school age children
and other members of the community
The Education Department
provides a service for St Helena based on a three-tier
system of education. It operates under
four divisions: Primary, Secondary,
Teacher Education, Central Administration.
Primary
Sector
The First Schools
provide compulsory schooling for children from 4+ to 7
years, as well as nursery education 5 mornings a week for
children 3 to 4 years. The Island has
two First Schools:
Half Tree Hollow and
Longwood.
The
Middle Schools cater for children 7+ to 11 years. The
two Middle Schools are situated in Longwood and
St Paul's.
Following amalgamation
of Jamestown First and Pilling Middle in May 2005, the combined school
operates as Pilling Primary School
Secondary
Sector
Secondary education is
provided by The Prince Andrew Community High School for
students from 11 to 18+ years. Schooling is compulsory
until the end of year 10 (legally children must complete
the school year in which they become 15). Most students
stay on to take GCSE exams and an
increasing number continue on to Year 12
studies, which allow students to follow an
academic or vocational programme. Evening classes for
further and community education are also run. The
Education Department is also responsible for the
management of the Francis Plain sports field, situated at
Prince Andrew School, and the weekend activities carried
out there.
Teacher
Education Sector
The third division of
the Department is the Teacher Education Centre (TEC).
The Teacher Education Centre, which is
situated in Market Street, Jamestown,
provides a base for the organisation,
co-ordination and delivery of most teacher
training for trainees and for experienced
teachers. Teacher training encompasses
four strands, including initial teacher
training, overseas training, in-service
training and distance education. Entry
into the teaching profession is flexible
and includes four routes for graduates,
mature students and school leavers. The
Initial Teacher Training programme is
'tailored' to suit individual needs and
capabilities and the time span for
completion ranges from one to two years.
The Centre houses a large resource bank of
materials available to all schools and
teachers on island. The Pupil Referral
Unit is located on site to provide
temporary education for students across
both sectors, that are unable to
participate in mainstream schooling for
various reasons, including schoolgirl
pregnancies and emotional and behavioural
difficulties. The TEC division also
encompasses a teachers' resource library and the Island's
Public Library.
Central Administration
The Department's fourth division performs much of
the clerical and administrative work for the schools
including finance and resource procurement. It is
based in The Canister in Jamestown.
A total of 128 staff are
employed within the Department which
provides education for approximately 850
school children and a further 81 day release and further
education students (Feb 2004).
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