Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Form 3 Curriculum (CSEC Preparation) - Office Administration

This course prepares students for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination in Office Administration. The curriculum focuses on providing students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to thrive in a modern office environment. It emphasizes practical application and aims to equip students for entry-level clerical and administrative support roles. The syllabus is divided into twelve sections:

1. Office Orientation: This section introduces students to the role and functions of an office, organizational structures, office layouts (traditional, open plan, virtual), ergonomics, office equipment, and desirable skills and attributes for office personnel.

2. Communication: This section covers communication channels, factors affecting communication flow, barriers to effective communication, forms of business structure, stationery selection, information sources, telephone techniques, telecommunication services, mail dispatch procedures, and handling incoming and outgoing mail.

3. Recruitment and Orientation: This section focuses on job searching, application procedures (forms, letters, CVs, resumes), business letter writing, interview preparation, and understanding the work environment (labor laws, organizational culture).

4. Records and Information Management: This section covers information management systems, duties of a records management clerk, electronic and manual records management systems, procedures for handling inactive files, legal stipulations regarding document access and retention, filing equipment and supplies, and centralized vs. departmental records management.

5. Reception and Hospitality: This section focuses on the role of the reception desk, duties and attributes of a receptionist, managing appointments (electronic and manual systems), and reminder systems.

6. Meetings: This section covers meeting terminology, document preparation (notices, agendas, minutes), roles of meeting personnel, types of meetings, organizing meetings, legal requirements for annual general meetings, and follow-up procedures.

7. Travel Arrangements: This section covers information and services needed for travel, calculating time differences, making travel arrangements, interpreting travel schedules, travel documents, and monetary instruments.

8. Human Resource Management: This section focuses on the functions of the HR office, duties and attributes of an HR clerk, worker welfare legislation, HR record maintenance, and factors contributing to employee turnover.

9. Accounts and Financial Services: This section covers the role of the accounts office, duties and attributes of an accounts clerk, preparing accounting documents, resources used in the accounts office, types of financial institutions, payment procedures, interpreting checks and bank statements, reconciling bank and cash book balances, and petty cash record keeping.

10. Procurement and Inventory Management: This section covers the functions of the procurement office, duties and attributes of a purchasing clerk, purchasing procedures, preparing purchasing documents, the importance of inventory management, and maintaining stock records (manual and electronic).

11. Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service: This section covers the functions of sales, marketing, and customer service departments, duties of clerks in these departments, required skills, preparing sales and marketing documents, types of discounts, and the role of the Corporate Communications Clerk.

12. Operations, Dispatch, and Transport Services: This section covers the functions of operations, dispatch, and transport offices, duties of clerks in these offices, and interpreting related documents (delivery schedules, destination sheets, customs forms, etc.).

The CSEC Office Administration examination includes multiple-choice questions, essay questions, and a School-Based Assessment (SBA) project. The SBA involves conducting research on a topic related to office administration, developing a report, and presenting findings.