Programme Description
The Effective Principals Training Programme (EPTP) is a professional development programme designed to keep in-service principals abreast of the latest developments in school leadership. The modules are designed to sensitise and prepare persons for the dynamic role of school leadership in a transformed ministry. The programme utilises hands-on application, while keeping an eye on the Education Act and Regulations.
Programme Objectives
The main objective of the programme is to assist principals to effectively manage the inputs they receive and improve processes in an effort to gain better outputs. The EPTP empowers principals to take on the challenges that they will face in the effective management of a school.
Admission Requirements
Principals are admitted to the programme based on the following:
• The listing of all appointed principals as per the sitting of the Teachers Services Commission (TSC);
• Recommendation form the Department of School Services (DSS); and
• Inspection reports issued by the National Education Inspectorate (NEI).
Programme Delivery
The programme is delivered via a blended approach (synchronous and asynchronous sessions) and consists of case studies, presentations and interactive assignments.
Programme Structure
The programme is delivered at the post graduate level and provides exposure to eight modules in Round One and nine modules in Round Two.
| Round One | Overview |
| Quality Educational Leadership | This module provides knowledge of the competencies, characteristics and attitudes needed to assist principals and school leaders to improve their effectiveness. |
| Roles and Responsibilities of the Principal | This module introduces principals to the competencies they should possess in order to lead high performing schools and raise student outcomes. |
| Preparation for the New School Year | The focus of this module is to provide school leaders with insights on how to effectively prepare for the new school year and how to mobilise resources in a quest to ensure an efficient start of the new school. |
| School Planning and Data Management | The focus of this module is to assist school leaders in describing some types of school data and the format in which they are to be presented. |
| Financial Management in Schools | The module provides instructional leaders with insights on how to effectively manage the school’s funds, to ensure that all funds received are recorded, accounted for and spent in a transparent manner. |
| Improving Education for Boys | This module explores strategies to ensure more meaningful engagement of boys across grade levels |
| Towards a Service-Oriented School | The focus of this module is to provide school leaders with the working knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to embrace, design and implement a service based and customer focused philosophy/orientation in the schools in their care. |
| Human Resources Management: Performance Management | The module provides Principals with the knowledge that they require to effectively lead performance management of their staff. |
| Round Two | Overview |
| Creating an Accountable Culture | This module provides school leaders with tools that will help them to shape a culture of accountability in their schools, and thus transform, underperforming and mediocre schools into high performing ones. |
| Effective Classroom Observation | This module provides a framework for principals who desire to implement and develop competencies in classroom observations. |
| Emotional Intelligence and Human Resource Management | This module introduces the concepts of emotions and moods while emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership. |
| School Governance | This module provides basic information to support principals in their role as members of the School Board while promoting standards for effective school governance. |
| Managing Media Relations | This module is designed to prepare principals to manage the communication process in their schools and to communicate effectively with the wider public. |
| Conflict and Behaviour Management | This module is designed to provide school leaders with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to effectively manage conflicts and students’ behavioural issues within the school environment. |
| Records Management | This module will provide meaningful strategies on how to ensure that vital records and documents are kept safe and how to systematically remove those records from prime office space to eliminate clutter for the effective utilisation of the office space. |
| Safety and Security in Schools | This module will expose participants to the legal framework governing schools’ security and safety; the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information’s policies, procedures and practices for critical incidents planning, the disposal of waste, sports and safety, the universal precautions in the management of HIV/AIDS in school and reporting format. |
| Procurement | This module introduces procurement through a thorough examination of the Government of Jamaica’s (GoJ’s) Procurement Policies and Procedures. |
Programme Officer
Philando Neil is an honours graduate of the University of the West Indies, Mona where he attained a Bachelor of Arts in Language and Communication. He holds a MSc in International Public Development Management from the UWI in the Department of Government in the faculty of Social Sciences.
Programme Administrator
Sutana Hemans is one of the College’s strategic and adept Programmes Administrators who has obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing from the University of the Common Wealth Caribbean. She provides a range of administrative duties for the effective operation of the Division of Programmes and is actively in the implementation of the College’s Effective Principals’ Training Programme.
