As part of the UWI’s continuing commitment toward making the University relevant to the needs of the community, the Faculty of Engineering, held a School Principals’ Workshop entitled “Bridging the Gap: the transition from High School to University” on Wednesday March 14, 2007.

The Workshop was organized primarily to establish firm links between the Faculty of Engineering of the UWI and Principals and staff of Secondary Schools in order to provide guidance and support to teachers, and by extension their students, especially those interested in the engineering, surveying and geosciences fields. The Workshop also aimed at keeping teachers informed of best practices in teaching Science and Mathematics and assisting students in the transition from Secondary School to tertiary education.

The Workshop targeted the Ministry of Education, School Principals, Guidance Officers as well as Teachers of Mathematics and the Sciences, and CAPE/CXC of Barbados.

Among the topics discussed were: Programmes in the Engineering Disciplines, Petroleum Geoscience and Surveying and Land Information; Programme requirements of the Faculty; Preparing high school students for a University experience; The teaching of Science and Mathematics in Secondary Schools; Implications of the transition from GCE A’Level to CAPE; and students’ performance in CAPE’s Maths and Physics Programmes

Several government and private secondary schools were represented; including schools from Tobago such as the Roxborough and Scarborough Secondary and the Signal Hill Comprehensive School.