THE Mico University College says it has taken the initiative to train in-service teachers and Mico lecturers in the skills of critical thinking, in order to adequately prepare students for the Primary Exit Program (PEP).

The initiative, which Mico said in a recent release started in September as a pilot, has involved 17 grade five teachers from Mico Practicing and Junior High, John Mills Primary and Junior High, Allman Town Primary, Hope Valley Experimental School, and Clan Carthy Primary. The institution said the focus has been on training in critical thinking skills, which constitute a major part of the National Standards Curriculum.

Head of the Curriculum Unit, Denise Minnott, is quoted as saying: “After listening to the discussions and concerns surrounding PEP, we brainstormed and decided we would focus on equipping teachers with critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which is the focus of the new curriculum. We believe if the teachers are confident, the fear around PEP will subside.”

In the meantime, Professor Carol Clarke, vice-president of academics, speaking to the importance of Mico doing PEP sensitisation sessions, said: “If there is any new initiative, any new policy direction, any new strategy, teacher education and teaching educators ought to be the root because we do the training.

“It is not just for classroom teachers but also who we are sending into the classrooms. Our students are sent on teaching practice every year, and if they are going into the classrooms they ought to be familiar with PEP,” she continued. “Our lecturers are also involved in the sessions because we are training the teachers; and we ought to, ourselves, get those requisite skills in preparing student teachers for PEP.”

Mico said the training sessions, scheduled to end in October, take the form of three-hour workshops, with a fieldwork/observation component to give support to those trained after the sessions have ended.