principals, may be allowed to change their programme or area
of specialization, provided this is done within three teaching
weeks of their commencement in college.
(i)
3.
Challenge Examination
An individual who deems himself/herself to have covered the
content of a particular course but who may not have
documentary proof which establishes such competence, may
apply to sit the relevant examination as a challenge
examination. Such an individual will have one chance to
establish his/her competence. If unsuccessful in this attempt,
he/she must take the JBTE course in question at a college of
his/her choice and meet the stipulated conditions with regard to
course work and attendance at lectures. Such a candidate must
be registered with a JBTE institution.
Programme Articulation and Structure
Articulation
The JBTE programme offers initial Teacher Education which must be
supported by appropriately structured programmes of induction and
mentoring and should be a building block for continuing professional
development and further certification. The JBTE programme is a threeyear diploma programme intended to articulate with B.Ed
programmes. This articulation should normally facilitate holders of
this diploma to move to a B.Ed. degree by pursuing no more than two
additional years of study at that level.
The JBTE diploma is comprised of between 113 and 115 credits
determined by the particular programme pursued. A number of
assumptions have been made in the organization of the JBTE diploma.
(i)
Students will normally embark upon their selected
programmes from Day One. In other words, they will be
selected for one of the programmes offered by the JBTE
at entry and specialization in the selected area will
commence from the very beginning. However,
programmes may share a common core of subjects and
experiences particularly in the area of Language Arts,
Education and the Practicum.
(ii) Graduates of the programme should be competent to
teach at the levels at which they specialized.
(iii) It is intended that on successful completion of a JBTE
programme, students should have achieved standards
relative to the three-year B.Ed. Degree at the University
of the West Indies (UWI) Mona which enables
exemption from all courses in the first year of the
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(iv)
(v)
programme. With respect to the four-year B.Ed. Degree
at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTECH) and
the Northern Caribbean University (NCU), students
should have achieved standards which enable exemption
from all courses in the first two years of the relevant
programme.
Where teachers seek to enter departments other than that
of Education at UWI, UTECH, or NCU they should, on
the basis of the teachers’ credentials, obtain at least
normal matriculation.
Where the individual goes to universities in North
America, different equivalences may exist. The JBTE
will seek to establish and maintain working relationships
and major overseas accreditation bodies to ensure
appropriate equivalence.
Structure
The JBTE currently recognizes five areas, hereafter called
programmes, in which students may be educated and trained as
teachers. They are Early Childhood, Primary, Primary Specializations,
Special Education and Secondary. Normally, students are required to
pursue these programmes for three years, unless they have been
granted advanced placement.
(a)
Definition of Programmes
(i)
The Early Childhood Programme prepares students to
teach children between the ages of 3+ and 7. It therefore
includes infant education and Grades 1 and 2 of the
Primary level.
(ii) The Primary Specialization Programmes which prepare
students as specialists in specified areas for the primary
level.
(iii) The Primary Programme prepares students to teach
children between the ages of 6 and 12, that is, from
Grades 1 to 6.
(iv) The Secondary Programme prepares students to teach
specified subjects to adolescents between the ages of 12
and 17, that is, from Grades 7 to 11 or Forms 1 to 5.
(v)
The Special Education Progamme prepares students to
teach children between the ages 3+ and 14 who are
challenged in one or more of the following ways:
Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired, Mentally
Challenged or Learning Disabled.
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(b)
Instructional Requirements
In order to be certified as a teacher, a student will be
required to complete successfully, in its entirety, one of
the following instructional programmes set out below.
Where an institution offers more credit hours in any
subject than is specified below, it shall not be in breach
of the regulations.
Programme Structure - Early Childhood
SUBJECTS
Professional Studies
Theory & Practice of Early
Childhood Education
College English
Literacy Studies
Mathematics
Religious Education
Science
Social Studies
Aesthetic Studies
Technology in Education
Practicum
Elective
Personal Development
Total Hours
CREDIT HOURS
10
20
8
6
11
6
6
6
12
5
9
8
Non-credit*
107
*In order to satisfy conditions for the award and the JBTE diploma, students
must have completed courses totaling 5 credits which lead to their personal
development. These credits do not go towards the type 2 diploma (i.e. pass,
credits or honours) that they are awarded.
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Programme Structure – Primary
SUBJECTS
Professional Studies
College English
Literary Studies/Language Arts Methods
Mathematics
Religious Education
Science
Social Studies
Aesthetics ( Visual Arts; P.E/ Movement;
Music; Drama)
Technology in Education
Practicum
Elective
Personal Development
Total Hours
CREDIT HOURS
15
8
12
12
6
9
9
20
5
9
8
Non-credit
113
Programme Structure - Literacy Studies
SUBJECTS
Professional Studies
College English
Literacy Studies specialization
Language Arts Education
Religious Education
Science
Social Studies
Aesthetics
Mathematics
Principles of Primary Teaching
Technology in Education
Practicum
Personal Development
Total Hours
CREDIT HOURS
15
8
33
6
3
4
4
16
5
3
5
9
Non-credit
111
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Programme Structure – Primary Spanish
SUBJECTS
Professional Studies
College English
Spanish
Language Arts Education
Science
Social Studies
Aesthetics
Mathematics
Technology in Education
Practicum
Personal Development
Total Hours
CREDIT HOURS
15
8
29
6
4
4
16
5
5
9
Non-credit
101
Programme Structure - Secondary
SUBJECTS
Professional Studies
College English
Literacy Studies
Teaching Subject I
Teaching Subject II
Technology in Education
Practicum
Elective
Personal Development
Total Hours
CREDIT HOURS
15
10
6
31
31
5
9
6
Non-credit
113
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Programme Structure - Special Education
SUBJECTS
Professional Studies
College English
Special Education Theory & Practice
Language Arts Education
Aesthetics
Science
Social Studies
Religious Education
Mathematics
Technology in Education
Practicum
Personal Development
Total Hours
(c)
CREDIT HOURS
15
8
37
3
15
6
5
3
8
5
9
Non-credit
114
Complying with Instructional Requirements
(i)
The instructional requirement is based on a maximum of
115 credit hours. Colleges will normally be expected to
provide instruction for 30 weeks of each of the three
academic years of each programme.
(ii)
(iii)
While courses may range from 2 to 6 credits, the norm
shall be 3 or 4.
Credit hours should be computed as follows:
Lecture
1 credit = 15 instructional hours
Tutorial/laboratories
1 credit = 30 instructional hours
Practicum
1 credit = 45 hours
Non-credit courses are pass/fail.
(iv)
(v)
Every teacher-education institution offering any or all of
the four programmes is obliged to offer its students
instruction for all the hours specified for the
programme(s). Where for good reasons, any institution in
its regular time-table activities fails to offer students
instruction for at least 95 percent of the time specified for
a particular course in any particular year, the institution
is obliged to put in place arrangements to make up for
this loss of time even if it means going beyond the
regular schedule.
For each course, students are obliged to attend classes to
the full limit of the number of hours provided by the
college in any particular year or in the case of courses
delivered by distance or electronic mode, have complied
with the requisite number of interactions. Where students
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miss more than 10 percent of the hours provided for a
particular course, they will not be permitted to sit the
examination terminating that course without first
requesting in writing and receiving the written
permission of the principal. Students are required to
provide the principal with proof of the reasons that
prevented their attendance. If the principal fails to be
convinced that the circumstances resulting in the
student’s absence were justified, he/she may refuse such
permission. Where a student has just cause but the
number of hours missed seriously compromises the
student’s ability to satisfy the requirements of the course,
the Principal may exercise his/her discretion in
presenting him/her for the examination in that semester.
(vi) For each course in each programme, each institution is
obliged to keep a record of attendance of students.
(d) The Practicum
(i)
Each college is required to organize 16 weeks of practice
in teaching across the three years of study according to
the structure approved by the JBTE. The focus of the
programme should be largely formative, beginning with
a period of guided observations and should be integrated
with instruction in principles and methods of teaching
and learning and with subject content and methodology.
No grade will be required for activities in Years 1 and 2
although colleges may wish to counsel students
concerning their suitability as teachers based on these
experiences. There should be provisions for summative
assessment in the final year which should be subject to
external validation.
(ii)
Pre-requisite for the Year III Teaching Practice is
successful completion of content and methodology
courses relevant to the school curriculum at the specified
level (i.e. Primary, Secondary, etc.) Such courses must
be identified by the appropriate Boards of Studies and
approved by the JBTE.
4.
Conditions of Passing
The programme shall be structured on a credit basis and promotion
from one level to the next of a subject will be determined by whether
or not the student has satisfied the stated prerequisite(s).
While each course will be examined in each semester or year in which
it is taught, the Diploma Programme will be assessed in two parts; Part
One and Part Two. Part One will coincide with the first year and Part
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