The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) have announced a collaborative effort to establish a Regional Parent-Teacher Association (RPTA), an entity designed to unify and strengthen parent-teacher engagement across the Caribbean.
A press statement from CXC today said that the RPTA will focus on several key objectives, including promoting cooperation among national Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), facilitating direct communication with ministries of education and other government authorities to build strategic alliances on matters of education, and advocating for improvements in the regional education system to positively impact the welfare of students, teachers, and parents.
Over 30 representatives of national and school-based parent-teacher associations and parent advocate groups across the Caribbean have unanimously agreed to support the initiative, the statement said.
It was highlighted that at a special stakeholder engagement session convened by CXC earlier this month, the parent representatives welcomed the opportunity to advance relationship-building with the regional examination and awarding body, and to learn more about the governing protocols and mechanisms to channel their ideas into the policymaking levels of CXC.
Dr. Wayne Wesley, the Registrar and CEO of CXC, said, “There are well-established structures for National Parent-Teacher Associations to share their ideas with their respective Ministries of Education, which relate directly to the policymaking mechanisms of CXC.”
Dr. Martin Baptiste, CDB’s Division Chief, Social Sector, told the PTA representatives and advocates that the bank is highly invested in the human capital development of the region. He added that the value of parental input in the regional development process is, without question, of vital importance, and a key factor in considerations at the CDB.
He said that the bank is ready to work with the parental associations of the region to bring about this Regional Parent-Teacher Association as a key step forward, and they are happy to be collaborating with CXC to make that happen.
Photo Credit: CDB
