KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Fayval Williams, says a rigorous programme has been put in place for the monitoring and evaluation of the face-to-face classes which are being piloted in 17 schools.

The tools include a monitoring and evaluation plan, monitoring and evaluation visitation schedule (data collectors), school resumption observation schedule and checklist, principal interview schedule, and protocols for administering data collection instruments.

“This evaluation will be conducted to determine the extent to which the reopening of the 17 schools during the COVID-19 pandemic… was done efficiently,” Williams said.

“It aims to facilitate evidence-based decision making to determine the successes and highlight further consideration that needs to be given for the full and/or partial resumption of face-to-face instruction for the education system as a whole,” she added, while addressing the sitting of the House of Representatives yesterday.

She noted that for the purpose of the evaluation, the ministry’s Planning and Development Division will seek responses from all students and teaching staff in the 17 schools using electronic questionnaires.

The questionnaires will be shared through the ministry-provided email addresses, the regional school improvement officers, supervision education officers and general education officers.

The population of students and teachers that attend face-to-face classes will be targeted for response. Parents of students will be asked to be present when students complete the questionnaires. All 17 schools will be visited by data collectors and the principals (or vice principals) will be interviewed.

Williams outlined that data collectors will gather both quantitative and qualitative-type information for monitoring purposes.

Officers from the Planning and Development Division will participate in the active monitoring exercises to provide systematic feedback at different intervals within the two-week period.