Twenty-five (25) principals, deputy principals and senior teachers will on Monday begin a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Management and Educational leadership with the University of the West Indies.

The programme is an initiative of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development and is funded by the Caribbean Development Bank under the Dominica Education Enhancement Project (DEEP).

The two-year, online degree programme aims to strengthen the academic abilities, skills and professional competencies of participants.

Chief Education Officer Melena Fontaine told a media launch on Friday that the programme was the latest indication of Government’s commitment to develop the human resource within schools.

“As Ministry we are aware that strong leadership, whether it is the principal, vice principal or head of department or programme, is the key to a successful school.

“Effective leaders are able to shape a vision of academic success for all their students as well as create a climate that promotes successful teaching and learning,” Fontaine said.

Fontaine said the MSc progamme was designed specifically to assist participants improve their capacity for instructional leadership.

“At the end of the programme, we expect our school leaders to be better positioned to act as the center of influence within their schools. The Ministry will also expect school leaders to provide more substantive input in the supervision of curriculum and instruction to ensure that students excel,” she said.

The programme is the first of its kind and was organized following a request from the Ministry of Education to the University of the West Indies.