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WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

3. The Assistant Registrar/Syllabus and Curriculum Development (SCD) Division welcomed the
participants to the Panel meeting. A special welcome was extended to Dr Nicholeen DeGrasse-
Johnson, Convenor, and new members of the team Mrs Janice George-Harris, Miss Dorraine Reid and
Miss Saira Dhanoo. The Assistant Registrar/SCD reminded the members that the meeting should
benefit from inputs from the diverse backgrounds of members of the Panel. She further stated that
the members of staff would give guidance on issues related to syllabus development and
measurement and evaluation.

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

4. The Agenda as proposed by the Assistant Registrar/SCD was adopted (see Appendix I).

OBJECTIVES OF THE MEETING

5. The Assistant Registrar/SCD gave an overview of the objectives of the meeting. These were
to:

(a) complete the revision of the syllabus based on comments received from resource
persons and teachers; and,

(b) construct Specimen Papers, Keys and Mark Schemes.

SYLLABUS AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

6. The Assistant Registrar/SCD shared with the Panel a PowerPoint presentation which captured
the syllabus maintenance and implementation processes and the outline of the format of the syllabus.
The presentation highlighted the political, philosophical and psychological considerations for syllabus
development. She informed the members of the Panel that underpinning the political considerations
were the Vision of the Ideal Caribbean Person which was adopted by the CARICOM Heads of
th
Government at their 18 Summit and the UNESCO five Pillars of Learning (learning to know; learning
to do; learning to live together; learning to be; and learning to transform oneself and society). In
referring to the attributes of the Ideal Caribbean Person, the members of the Panel agreed with the
recommendations of the Review Committee that the syllabus should focus on the development of a
Caribbean Person who:

(a) is imbued with a respect for human life since it is the foundation on which all the other
desired values rest;

(b) is emotionally secure with a high level of self-confidence and self-esteem;

(c) sees ethic, religious and other diversity as a source of potential strength and richness;

(d) has an informed respect for the cultural heritage;

(e) has a strong appreciation of family and kinship values, community cohesion, and
moral issues including responsibility for and accountability to self and community;

(f) demonstrates a positive work ethic; and,

(g) values and displays the creative imagination in its various manifestations and nurtures
its development in the economic and entrepreneurial spheres in all other areas of life.

(Caribbean Education Strategy, 2000)

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