Learn Slip, teachers told

MANY school head teachers and their deputies do not really know how to develop their school learning improvement plan (Slip) in the last three years, Morobe education manager Kaumu Laga says. “During inspections at schools, Slip implementation was found to be ineffective,” he said. “That is a real concern.” Laga said teachers were not correctly trained on Slip implementation. “I was one of those who developed the Slip guidelines in 2006,” he said. “As a former education inspector, I used my experience to train head teachers.” Laga was speaking at a four-day Slip refresher workshop he facilitated for 46 head teachers, deputies and Slip coordinators from 23 primary schools in Lae.
The workshop was for participants to reflect and review their school plans to be examples for other districts in the province. Laga said schools had formulated their Slip without following the guidelines. “Most head teachers themselves, with assistance of a few teachers, developed their plan without following the guidelines,” he said.  “This forced management boards to accept the plans. “They are now trained on the real process of Slip formulation, involving parents, board members, teachers and students.” Laga said Slip aimed to achieve quality teaching and learning outcomes, and everyone, including stakeholders must be involved in its planning and implementation. There are 12 primary schools in Lae’s inspectorate 1 and 11 in inspectorate 2, with an education inspector in charge of each inspectorate.