Concerns for education delivery take the spotlight

Nov 10, 2008 News

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NEW AMSTERDAM, BERBICE – Education Officers have intensified visits to schools across East Berbice/Corentyne in an attempt to correct a number of bugbears which are impacting on the education delivery in East Berbice/Corentyne.

Head of the Regional Education and Training Committee, David Armogan, said that teachers’ attendance and punctuality are main areas of concern. “We have found that there is a lot of absenteeism and lateness for work in some cases. We have asked the head teachers to issue warning letters and take stern action against these defaulting teachers. If they do not, then the Department of Education would take strong action against the head teachers.”

The numbers of visits made during October was ten. According to him, in some instances, the principals were not monitoring the situation as they should. “Some of these head teachers are too soft…In one of the cases at a secondary school in New Amsterdam, it was found that teachers are signing the time for other teachers who had not yet arrived at school. Now, because head teachers are not checking the time sheets early enough in the mornings, it just slips through.”

Teachers attending the university are also under the microscope. In a recent interview with the Region Six Education Officer Shafiran Bhajan, she indicated that, “Teachers attending the university during instruction hours, punctuality and attendance of teachers as well as the lack of substantive head and senior teachers in many schools are the main challenges.”

The Regional Educational Committee decided that only on Fridays teachers would be released from school to attend classes at the university. Mr. Armogan pointed out that though the hours have been restructured, some teachers are still short changing students.

“They are doing their assignments for university during school hours in some cases…it takes away from instructional time. Education officers in the region have been mandated to visit schools, inspect teachers’ preparedness and notes of lessons, and check the extent of the completion of the syllabus.”

Turning his attention to the lack of head teachers at a few schools, he explained that representatives from the Teaching Service Commission recently visited the region to sort out vacancies. “Some who applied for position of head teachers are not qualified. Those who applied, besides their qualifications, must submit a school development plan. That’s the big problem we are facing.”

The school development plan came into effect in 2007, and if it is not available, then the applicant is automatically disqualified. “Before they are considered for promotion as head teachers, they must present this plan, which will give those who are making the appointment an idea of what the person intends to do. In other words, you must visit the school first, you must have some ideas of the problems existing in the school, and look at solutions and ways to improve the school before you can be employed.”

From 2007, senior teachers at schools who have the aptitude to become head teachers have had to undergo a special training programme. “Once these people pass through this 18-month course, it shows that they are equipped with management skills and knowledge, and that puts them in a better position to manage the school system. There are courses running in Berbice and Demerara for people at the nursery, primary and secondary levels. The last figure was 13 who graduated from this management course.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Armogan said that text books were distributed at all primary schools in Region Six, and pupils were given their own copies.

However, many parents are questioning this, since at some schools the students are expected to present their own text books. In response, he said that the situation is likely to improve.

In an attempt to improve the literacy level, books were also given for school libraries, and in some cases for the establishment of class libraries.

For several years now, at some schools, students must provide their own seating accommodation, even though a figure appears on the regional budget for furniture for schools. In this year’s Regional Budget, some $44 million went to the Education sector; $36 million of this amount was for the construction and rehabilitation of school buildings, as well as the construction of teachers’ quarters at Siparuta.

The sum was also to be used for the rehabilitation of the Crabwood Creek Primary on the Corentyne, Lighttown Primary on the East Bank, and Canje Secondary and new nursery schools for Gibraltar and Number Seventy-Nine Villages. On furniture and equipment, some $8 million was projected to be spent.

The Head of the Regional Education and Training Committee said: “The contractor that was given the contract has not been able to meet the deadline in some cases, and this is causing some discomfort. The school does not have the authority to order a child to take his own furniture to school.”

He cited a case where a parent presented a receipt to the Education Committee as proof that furniture had to be purchased for a leading secondary school in New Amsterdam.

Meanwhile, the truancy campaign in Region Six is continuing, since it is a major issue. Mr. Armogan noted that many children are still not attending school during instruction time. “This is for children between seven to 14 years old who are just loitering in the streets. These are children who are registered but not attending school.”

During a recent exercise, some forty-six children in the four schemes comprising Black Bush Polder were caught playing hooky.

This truancy campaign is concentrated in areas where the problem is more pronounced. Friends Village on the East Bank of Berbice, based on a request made by a People’s National Congress Regional Councillor, is to be targeted this week.

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