ASTEP results to be ready next year

Nadisha Hunter, Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Education says the results of a comprehensive review of the Alternative Secondary Transition Education Programme (ASTEP), will be made public within the next two months.

ASTEP is a remedial programme for students, who have completed their years at the primary level without achieving mastery of the Grade Four Literacy Test.

However, the programme has been assessed as failing to meet its objectives.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Education Minister Ronald Thwaites said while there is no intention to abandon the programme it needs to be reformed.

In revealing some of the challenges facing ASTEP, the education minister indicated that the programme is becoming a holding operation and is not equipping the students to allow them to transition back into secondary education.

Thwaites further said that students are not showing signs of improvement in some subject areas such as reading.

He said that the programme is also being affected by high levels of absenteeism and teachers who are not equipped to offer special education.

Meanwhile, Thwaites disclosed that the Career Advancement Programme is also under review and the results are expected by next year.

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