International education systems that have undergone significant changes are being studied as part of the Government’s plan to phase out middle schools, a report released yesterday said.

The report added that the education ministry was “reviewing the findings of the Score Report and the restructuring of public-school systems undertaken in other jurisdictions, including Cayman, Barbados, Gibraltar, England, Poland, the US and Canada”.

The report added: “The information gathered will provide the data required to make an informed decision towards reforming public-school education, modernising public-school facilities, and establishing specialised schools as needed.”

The news came in the annual report on the Plan 2022 blueprint for education over the next few years, prepared by the education ministry and the Department of Education.

The report was designed to give an update on work carried out between January 2018 and March this year.

The Government pledged to phase out middle schools and introduce “signature” schools — schools with a specialised focus — at the secondary level as a long-term objective in its 2017 election platform.

The 24-page report also discussed the attempt to introduce standards-based grading in schools.

It said: “Three teachers have been seconded to support the staff development officer with standards-based grading training.”

The report said that professional development webinars on the new grading system would start this month.

It added: “The DoE team, SBG Steering Committee, PowerSchool technicians, and other stakeholder groups will continue to meet and strategise and collaborate to enhance the compatibility of a SBG grade reporting system for the new academic year.”

Plans to update wi-fi capabilities in primary and middle schools were also detailed in the report.

Diallo Rabain, the Minister of Education, said that Plan 2022 “will lead to the transformation of public school education by focusing on the adaptive and technical strategies that will drive the key outcomes”.

Mr Rabain added that the benefits of the plan were “far-reaching”, but needed the support of pupils, parents, teachers, unions, Department of Education staff and the private sector.

He said: “This collaboration and working together has already begun.”

Plan 2022, unveiled in December 2017, outlined five key strategies, 43 key outcomes, 15 areas of action and 55 strategies.

Kalmar Richards, the Commissioner of Education, said the road map was “developed using authentic community engagement and a diverse team of strategic planning writers who developed the strategies based on research and informed practice”.

• To view the full, 24-page Plan 2022 report, click on the PDF link under “Related Media”