Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 21 May 2025: The Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) in the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, has recently concluded an intensive two-week training session with prospective quality assurance officers. The training took place from 5 – 16 May 2025 and a total of fourteen (14) officers participated in the training in-person, online and hybrid. The officers are being prepared to be the first cohort of Quality Assurance Officers to conduct formal school inspections in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The training session was facilitated by Dr Maureen Clarke-Dwyer, Chief School Inspector and Dr Karah Whitter, Senior Inspector/Quality Assurance with the National Education Inspectorate (NEI) in Jamaica. The training session encompassed evaluating leadership practices, conducting classroom and general observation dynamics, interpreting data and participating in a mock inspection of one school. The sessions were designed to build the competencies, skills, knowledge and judgement needed to evaluate schools accurately and fairly. At the end of the training exercise, the officers completed a 70-hour course in the Principles and Practices in School Inspection and were awarded a certificate of completion.
At the start of the training, Mrs. Kadean Cunningham, Quality Assurance Manager, emphasised the vital role of quality assurance officers in supporting and delivering quality assurance during school assessments and inspections. She highlighted that training is essential to ensure the process is well-understood, effective, and credible—ultimately strengthening education quality. This, she noted, builds stakeholder confidence and validates the officers’ work. She concluded by stating that trained officers will be well-versed in educational standards, skilled in evaluating teaching and learning, able to communicate findings professionally, and equipped to provide feedback that drives school improvement.
In her address to the team of quality assurance officers, Hon. Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, emphasised that efforts to improve the education system must remain focused on students and their learning. She underscored that students are the primary beneficiaries of the process, and the ultimate goal is to enhance the quality of education they receive each day. The aim of the QAU is to contribute to the overall development and maintenance of standards in education and foster an environment conducive to quality teaching, effective learning and overall academic excellence within our schools. It remains committed to delivering on the Ministry’s promise of ensuring that the education system provides our students with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to maximize their fullest potential in order to benefit their families, the communities and the development of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
