Ascension : Press Release - Visit of Lilla Oliver
Submitted by The Islander (Ascension Island Government) 27.11.2008 (Article Archived on 11.12.2008)

Lilla Oliver, Primary Consultant and Trainer is back on Island until early December to carry out further work with the Education Department. This will be Lilla’s fifth visit to the Island in this capacity.

Lilla Oliver, Primary Consultant and Trainer is back on Island until early December to carry out further work with the Education Department. This will be Lilla’s fifth visit to the Island in this capacity.

Lilla is the former Education Officer (Primary) but she now works in the UK for the University of Wolverhampton at their Centre for International Development and Training (CIDT). The University has been contracted by the Department For International Development to provide support to the Education Department. This is part of a five year project which has been funded by DFID.   Lilla manages this Education Service Support Programme for CIDT.

The project is aimed at continuing to improve the quality of education in schools, developing adult and vocational education, and continuing to develop the Education Departments management strengths.

The project concentrates on six key areas. These include improving standards in SATs and GCSE; recruitment of teachers; reorganisation in the primary sector; organising overseas training for teachers; managing scholarship students who are sponsored by the Education Department; and developing post compulsory education through the Adult Vocational Education Service.

While she is on the Island, Lilla will be evaluating the recently amalgamated Harford Primary School which now holds pupils from Longwood First and Harford Middle School. Lilla will look at how the new strategies are working since the change was introduced in September 2008.

This is a continuation of work Lilla did when she was last on the Island supporting and training staff in the recently amalgamated schools. Much of her emphasis was placed on vertical grouping where children of different age groups are taught in the one class because of there being insufficient pupils of the one age.

At the end of Lilla’s visit, much work will have been completed in terms of training and support to teachers in the Primary Sector. Her work has also allowed all three primary schools to be operating under a new curriculum.

Public Relations/Information Office

Office of the Chief Secretary

19 November 2008