TARGETED intervention in 56 non-traditional high schools which were previously rated unsatisfactory or in need of immediate support by the National Education Inspectorate (NEI) has started to reap success. The schools are beneficiaries of the National School Learning and Intervention Programme (NSLIP) introduced by the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information. The programme was established in 2022 in response to the learning gaps/loss experienced by students from the disruption in the education system due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tactical approach was developed to expedite school improvement by targeting the critical factors that influence student outcomes. It included increased instructional time, strengthened leadership practices, data-driven decision-making, enhanced teacher support, improved student welfare, and stronger monitoring and accountability systems. Its primary objective was to provide a structured and cohesive framework capable of achieving measurable gains within a relatively short time frame while promoting sustainable practices to support long-term school improvement.
The evidence emerging from NSLIP schools has provided one of the strongest arguments for sustained intervention. In the 2025 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, all 56 schools participating in NSLIP recorded improvement in English A, while 41 recorded improvement in mathematics, with several schools demonstrating dramatic gains. Among the schools reporting improvement was Edwin Allen High School in Clarendon, which was placed under NSLIP after its CSEC mathematics performance declined to 25.4 per cent passes in 2024.
Following the targeted intervention, the school’s CSEC mathematics performance increased to 74.1 per cent passes in 2025. Jermain Harris, principal of Edwin Allen, said he worked closely with the vice-principal of programmes, the head of the Mathematics Department, and the Ministry of Education’s mathematics specialists to ensure that the curriculum delivery was aligned with the CSEC mathematics syllabus and that curriculum pacing was closely monitored. “Teachers used assessment data to identify priority content areas and adjusted instruction to meet students’ learning needs.
“To increase students’ exposure to quality instruction, the school implemented an extensive programme of extended learning, which included morning…
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