s.18Education Standards and Assessment
18
Section 18Part 6 — QUALITY ASSURANCE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Education Standards and Assessment

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There is established a department of Government called the Office of Education Standards which has responsibility for assessment and monitoring of provision in educational institutions as undertaken in such manner as may be prescribed by this Act and the regulations.
There shall be appointed in accordance with the Public Service Management Act (2018 Revision) a Director of the Office of Education Standards and such other officers as appear necessary for the proper exercise of the functions of the Office; and the Director of the Office of Education Standards and officers shall be employed in the Office of Education Standards and shall be responsible for the administration of the Office.
In accordance with criteria for education standards and reporting approved by the Minister after consultation with the Education Council, the Minister shall require the Director of the Office of Education Standards to carry out independent assessment, monitoring and reporting of educational institutions at intervals of not more than four years, and at such other times as the Minister may consider necessary and expedient.
The Minister shall require —
the report of each school education provision to include a statement of —
key strengths and weaknesses in the quality of education being provided, including the provision for special education needs and disabilities, as identified during the course of the education provision;
specific recommendations for improvement;
the timescale in which any such measures are to be taken; and
progress made relative to the outcomes of the previous report for the school, where such exists;
the report on the outcomes of each education provision to be —
undertaken in such manner as may be prescribed by the regulations, to promote independence and transparency of reporting;
distributed to the Chief Officer, the Director of the Department of Education Services, the school inspected and any governing body or oversight agency of that school; and
submitted to the Cabinet for information and made public;
an annual report to the Minister on the overall outcomes of national education standards to be —
undertaken in such manner as may be prescribed by regulations; and
laid in the Cayman Islands Parliament; and
such other reports on matters relating to the standards of education provided in schools in the Islands as the Minister considers necessary.
Where remedial actions are specified in an education standards report, the school leaders of the relevant educational institution shall ensure the actions are completed in the timeframe specified by the Office of Education Standards.
Where upon subsequent quality assurance, it is determined that the required actions have not been taken or have been ineffective, the Chief Officer may, upon specific or general direction of the Minister, appoint a suitable person to give direction for the implementation of such remedial actions as may be considered necessary; and —
in the case of a Government school, a suitably qualified person shall be employed by the Ministry for such purpose; and
in the case of an assisted school or independent school, a suitably qualified person shall be appointed at the cost of the school for a specified period.
The Minister may, under the advice of a relevant agency or body, close an educational institution where there are immediate health and safety issues or where serious issues identified through quality assurances have not been remedied within the set time frame.
The Director of the Office of Education Standards or any other person acting under the Director's authority may in the prescribed manner and at the prescribed times enter the premises of an educational institution, home school, or other premises where the care and education of children is being undertaken, for the pursuance of the Director's functions under this Act or the regulations, and may in the prescribed manner and at the prescribed times examine and require the production of documents, for the purpose of an assessment or a monitoring exercise.
A person who obstructs the Director of the Office of Education Standards or any person referred to in subsection (8) in the execution of the duties under this section, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of five thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term of one year, or to both.
The Cabinet may make regulations for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Part.

Cross References