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11. The Assistant Registrar/SCD informed the Panel that these recommendations were
incorporated into a draft syllabus for CSEC® Theatre Arts that was circulated to teachers, subject
specialists and theatre practitioners for comments. She reminded the members of the Panel that
based on the recommendations, they should examine the syllabus document in its entirety, ensuring
that the Rationale, Aims, General Objectives, Specific Objectives, Content and Assessment Procedures
were properly linked. She further advised that particular attention should be paid to the suggestions
and concerns of all stakeholders.

THE PANEL’S RESPONSE TO ISSUES RAISED

Teacher Questionnaire

12. The Assistant Registrar/SCD informed the Panel that an eight-page, 17-item questionnaire was
posted on Survey Gizmo and the link was sent to teachers of CSEC® Theatre Arts in the Participating
Territories. Completed questionnaires were received from 16 persons in six of the Participating
Territories (see list of respondents at Appendix IIa). These territories were Barbados, Dominica,
Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. The questionnaire sought to obtain information
and suggestions from practising teachers on all aspects of the syllabus, including the appropriateness
of the knowledge and skills being taught, the clarity of the objectives, the adequacy of the content,
and the validity of the assessment tasks and procedures, including the School-Based Assessment.

13. An analysis of the comments on items of the questionnaire revealed that all, but one of the
respondents agreed that the Rationale clearly justified the studying of Theatre Arts in the school
curriculum. The one participant who opposed provided the following justification.

While the Rationale justifies the value placed on the course, it does not justify the
need to study the course. This is especially true in environments where career choices
(predominantly in medicine, engineering and law) determine the need for studying
particular courses.

In light of the respondent’s concern, the Panel reviewed the Rationale and determined that it was not
lacking in this regard. The Panel indicated that the following extract from paragraph 2 of the Rationale
is indicative of its coverage of the value of studying Theatre Arts.

Through Theatre Arts, students will develop as Ideal Caribbean Persons who have an
informed respect of their cultural heritage which allows them to be independent,
critical and divergent thinkers, steeped in a strong sense of Caribbean identity from
which to communicate effectively with others. Theatre Arts allows them to build self-
esteem, self-confidence and take pride in themselves as creative human beings (see
details in the syllabus in Appendix III).

However, in light of the comment, the Panel revised the list of Career Choices that the study of Theatre
Arts may benefit and agreed that an important way of showing the value of the subject is to connect
it to the different possible career pathways.

14. All of the respondents to the survey were also of the opinion that the Aims, as stated,
adequately reflected the goals of the syllabus. The Panel also agreed that the Aims of the syllabus
adequately described anticipated educational results. However, the Panel decided that the use of the
term ‘new media technologies’ in Aim 1 presented a limited view of technology. Consequently, the
Panel decided to replace this term with the use of the term ‘technology’, which they felt was more
inclusive of the different types of technology. All of the respondents to the survey were also of the
opinion that the General Objectives adequately reflect the outcomes of classroom instruction. On the
other hand, the Panel felt that some General Objectives needed to be re-ordered and refined to better

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