Science and Technology

The foundation of life is grounded in Science. The Primary Science Instructional Programme builds on this foundation by exposing students to a variety of experiential activities, which are designed to develop scientific knowledge, attitudes and skills. It lays the groundwork for students to become competent and productive thinking citizens who objectively seek solutions to problems and design and implement appropriate strategies for problem solving. Towards this end, the Primary Science Instructional Programme helps students to become scientifically literate by providing them with a comprehensive knowledge base of facts, concepts, conceptual networks and skills.Further, the Primary Science Instructional Programme promotes the activity-oriented, inquiry-based approach to teaching Science that helps students to develop Process Skills and involves students in all aspects of the process of scientific investigation using the Scientific Method. The Primary Science Curriculum Guidelines, used in collaboration with resource materials and recommended teaching strategies, cater to the variant and individual needs of students.Primary Science is assessed in the Grade Level Assessment Test (GLAT) at the grade six level. The content tested is taken from the Primary Science Curriculum Guidelines. The GLAT is a national examination that is taken by all students of grades three and six throughout The Bahamas. Visit www.bahamianprimaryscience.com

The mission and goals of Primary Science are:

MISSION

To provide all children in The Bahamas with the opportunity to acquire the scientific knowledge, attitudes and skills that will enable them to make positive choices as literate citizens in a scientific and technological global community.

GOALS

Creates a solid foundation in scientific knowledge and thinking skills for them to participate responsibly in the changing world of technology and face the challenges of the 21st Century.

HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE

The High School Science Instructional Programme is intended to bring about an understanding of an appreciation for basic concepts and attitudes of Science which explain the natural phenomena of this planet and the interrelationships of its organisms. Thinking and understanding Science are shared teacher and student processes and are addressed within the curriculum through a balanced interaction of "hands-on" activities, content and value-driven exercises.The increase in students' knowledge of the environment, their comprehension of scientific concepts and their acquisition of necessary knowledge and skills prepare them for entry into tertiary level institutions and for placement in the job market.The courses presented through the High School Science Instructional Programme are General Science and Health Science in Grades 7- 9, and Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Combined Science in Grades 10 -12.
Upon completion of studies in these areas, High School students are eligible to write two National Examinations, The Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) at the end of Grade 9 and The Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) at the end of grade 12. At both levels, emphasis is placed on practical work and students of Grades 10 -12 are involved in periodic assessment of practical skills as a requirement of the BGCSE and submit coursework as a component of the Examination. Page Top

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

Agriculture has been cited as one of the areas with optimum potential for diversifying the Bahamian economy. Students in our education system therefore, must be prepared and equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to meet the demands envisaged by the further growth and development of the Agriculture Industry. Cognizant of this fact, The Bahamas Government in 1997 enunciated the need to strengthen Agricultural Science Programmes in all schools, requiring them to maintain flower and/or vegetable gardens. Hence, there is the need for Agricultural Science Education to be taught in our schools.Agriculture is an applied science and as such emphasizes the provision of technical skills that would enable students to become economically self-sustaining and / or pursue further education in one or more of the related fields. Subsequently, the Agriculture programme has been expanded to include Crop Production, Animal Husbandry, Ornamental Horticulture, Landscaping and Lawn Maintenance. Students entering the programme are exposed to and involved in construction/installation of units, production, processing and marketing of produce and products. To ensure uniformity, teachers follow curriculum guidelines designed for primary, junior and senior high schools. Schools offering Agricultural Science are expected to design / create developmental plans based on the size of the schools' demonstration plot. The teacher(s) and students construct, establish and/or install units with some financial and technical assistance from the Department of Education, school administrators, other government agencies and the private sector with which the schools have forged partnerships. Agricultural Science activities are undertaken during school hours. However, teachers and 4-H Club members in particular select afternoons and/or weekends to work if deemed necessary. The programme evaluation includes course work (written and practical), in addition to school based examinations.

MATHEMATICS

In lieu of phenomenal changes that are taking place in today's world, the futures of today's students will be profoundly affected by their Mathematical knowledge. The challenges that students will face will have cause for them to adapt to changing conditions. The ability to use technology effectively and the acquisition of the skills to process large amounts of quantitative data will be a major requirement for our students. It is imperative therefore, that what is taught in Mathematics classrooms across The Bahamas today, prepare our students to live tomorrow in the all encompassing global village. The Mathematics students learn, must provide them with essential knowledge and skills; those higher level thinking skills of reasoning, problem solving and communication but more importantly, equip them with the ability and the drive for independent learning. The material in the Bahamian Mathematics Curriculum is arranged by strands. There are six ( 6) of them namely: Number Theory, Sets, Patterns & Functions, Geometry , Measurement and Statistics & Probability. Our Mathematics curriculum assumes a user-friendly classroom environment in which all students are called upon to explain their reasoning using manipulatives (cannot be overstated at kindergarten and lower primary levels), in writing or orally to their teacher and to their peers -whole class or group. Mathematics classrooms across The Bahamas should generate diversity in the ways children learn best. It is imperative therefore, that opportunities are provided for students to learn in a variety of ways -individually, cooperatively, independently, with teacher direction, through hands on experiences, through examples followed by practice. There is no single correct way to teach or to learn mathematics. It is envisioned therefore, that the strategies used in our classrooms will vary according to the objectives of the lesson and the needs of the students. Content without process is ineffective and process without content is meaningless. Rather, it is the integration of various aspects of mathematical knowledge that provides a powerful tool for reasoning and problem solving. The Bahamian Mathematics Curriculum/Resource Guidelines reflect a conscious blend of both process and content. National examinations in Mathematics are written at four (4) grade levels. All students of grades three (3) and six (6) in the primary school, write the Grade Level Assessment Test (GLAT). An individual diagnostic report is generated for each student. Two examinations are written at the high school level. At grade nine (9) students sit The Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) examination and at the end of their high school studies students write The Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) examination. Each candidate entered for the BJC and the BGCSE exams is charged a fee and if successful, the candidate is awarded a certificate.

Page Top