Education planners plug restart of certificate programme at CPCE

Nov 13, 2010 News

… some teachers do not qualify for Associate Degree in Education

Senior education planners are pressing for the reintroduction of the Trained Teachers’ Certificate which was recently abolished to make way for a programme leading to an Associate Degree in Education.
“We’re making a strong representation to the management of the college…and to the leadership of the Ministry of Education to have that programme offered again,” Roopnarine Tiwari, the acting Chief Education Officer, said yesterday.
Tiwari, along with Chief Education Planning Officer, Evelyn Hamilton, appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Social Services to answer questions regarding the education sector.
The certificate programme was abandoned at the Cryil Potter College of Education at Turkeyen to make way for the Association Degree in Education programme, which requires a higher qualification.
But that has left out a number of acting teachers who were waiting to gain entry to the College, and are now unable to do so.
The plight of these teachers was raised by Cheryl Sampson, PNCR Member of Parliament with the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform.
“There are a number of young people who do not have the qualification,” Sampson pointed out. These are unable to read for the Associate Degree in Education. She noted that the hinterland regions are more fortunate as the certificate programme would be offered at the teacher-training centres in these regions.
Tiwari said his Department was looking at the number of teachers who are currently in the system and who do not qualify to read for the Associate Degree in Education.
Under the five-year strategic plan of the Ministry of Education, 70 per cent of teachers are expected to be trained by 2013, and Tiwari said the projection is that this goal would be met.
He said that the Ministry of Education has raised the qualification level for those who enter the school system. No longer would acting teachers be appointed with “three or four” subjects, but there could be exceptions in Hinterland regions where teacher recruitment is a problem.
A person must have passes in five subjects, with Grades 1-3 in English and Mathematics to read for the Associate Degree in education.
Tiwari said this is in an effort to enhance the performance of teachers and ultimately lead to improved student performance.
The Associate Degree in Education programme is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Education and the University of Guyana.
The four-year programme means that teachers no longer have to go through studies over a seven year period to gain the trained teachers certificate and then read for a degree in education at the University. This amounts to a three-year reduction in studies.
The Association Degree in Education programme was launched at the start of this month and the Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, said the programme is an integral part of the Education Ministry’s strategic plan.
He highlighted the pivotal role that teacher education will play in the development of the country, saying that well educated and trained teachers are absolutely necessary if the latent potential and abilities of the country’s children are to be tapped.
According to Baksh, the new degree is designed to create a better quality of teacher, it sees the teachers undertaking two years of intensive study at the CPCE then heading over to the University of Guyana where their education will be rounded off with another two years of instruction.
Another change that this programme sees over the certificate programme is that the required practical period that each teacher has to serve will no longer be one year but 19 weeks.
Upon completion of the programme, the teachers will also be subjected to a one-year induction period during which their performance in the classroom will be closely observed.

Latest News

Education planners plug restart of certificate programme at CPCE

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 17th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

GPF arrests Presidential Guards by 48 runs as cricket action gets...

Superbet supports One Guyana 3×3 Quest

FIDE Master Drayton outclasses strong competition...

Wiltshire, Chris dominoes tourney set for March

Houston Sec’, New Central, Saints sent packing

Charles’ all-round performance helps EBDCA U23...

Features/Columnists

No immigrant should feel safe in America today

If Guyana’s President Ali is the “Zelensky of the Caribbean”, who is the Putin?

From Bharrat, the Blusterer to Howard, the Coward

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Education planners plug restart of certificate programme at CPCE

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 17th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]