The Ministry of Education, Employment & Gender Affairs has released the Education Bill 2015 for public consultation. This survey provides you with the opportunity to give your comments on the Education Bill 2015.

The survey is available here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NH6QX88

To download the complete Consultation Draft go to: http://www.education.gov.ky/portal/page?_pageid=3901,1&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

The public consultation phase for the 2015 Draft Education Bill has begun.

The Minister of Education, Hon. Tara Rivers believes the new draft bill will bring the existing 30-year-old legislation up to date and in line with the Bill of Rights. She said
the law was broad and flexible enough to allow for different types of schools, depending on what policy direction government chose to go in.

“It provides the actual foundation to be able to make the kinds of requirements and regulations that we are now putting in law as opposed to just leaving them as a policy adopted by the ministry or the government,” said Rivers. “The current law has been operating since 1983. It was high time that this legislation, which is effectively 30 years old, was revised to meet the changes that have occurred in education over the years.”

Rivers also identified a “number of deficiencies” in the existing law and the new proposed law will strengthen policies already in practise at our schools with a new provision for “assisted schools” – funded, but not managed, by government.

The bill will also establish a professional standards unit for teachers and an independent schools inspection unit called the Office of Education Quality Assurance.

KPMG has been commissioned to review the education governance system in the islands. They will also assess the suitability of Academies that are run by private sector boards.

The ban on corporal punishment (outlawing strapping), included in the Bill is already followed as a matter of policy as are other provisions.

The public consultation period closes on Tuesday 30 June.