Teaching is one of the most demanding professions

Jul 17, 2011 News

– Prof Samad tells graduating teachers at CPCE graduation

“Teaching is one of the most demanding of the professions. This is so because the real teacher never stops teaching; it is in you and with you 24/7, 365.
“In waking moments, it is with you; in sleeping moments, it is with you; and in that twilight time between not being quite asleep and not being quite awake, it is with you, like a curse and a blessing”.
That was the central theme of the keynote speaker’s address to the 515 new teachers at the 77th Convocation of the Cyril Potter College of Education at the National Cultural Centre on Thursday evening.

Graduating Class of 2011 from the CPCE Johns Centre, Corentyne, Berbice.

University of Guyana Berbice Campus Director, Prof. Daizal Samad, told the teachers that he has ensured a more comfortable environment to train Secondary school teachers in Regions Five and Six through direct intervention he recently made to move the Berbice CPCE Centre from the JC Chandisingh Secondary School to the Johns Campus of the University of Guyana, where it was more conducive to train teachers.
“The Ministry of Education and the CPCE Senior Administration saw the wisdom if this and were fully supportive. To be sure, there were those who were vehemently opposed to this, but good sense prevailed.
“CPCE Berbice Secondary Division, under Mrs. Norma Stuart, now has ample classroom space, office space, lunch rooms, cafeteria services, stationary and photocopying services, internet connectivity, room for the computer center, room for the library, access to the science laboratories, and administrative offices,” he said.
He said that teaching is about breaking the bread of cultures, and drinking the bitter wine of histories. Teaching is one of the most demanding professions, he said, “because it is an exercise in self-erasure. It is the exact opposite of the inflation of the ego. And, as your self becomes erased, you begin to see your students, realize what they are and who they are and what they may be.
“After each class or class session, your students should know a little more about themselves as Guyanese and as human being”. Velon Parris of the Vreed-en-Hoop CPCE Centre copped the Best Graduating Student title and received the Prime Minister’s Award at the graduation. The programme was chaired by Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam.
Head of the Research and Graduate Studies Division, School of Education and Humanities of the University of Guyana, Dr Victorine Solomon delivered the charge to the graduating teachers.
In Berbice, Lorianne Batson, of the Winifred Gaskin Secondary was the Best Graduating student at the CPCE Johns Centre, while other notable performers from that centre included Mahendra Algu from Port Mourant Secondary, Mohanie Harricharran of Lower Corentyne Secondary, and Jasmattie Indarjeet from Skeldon High School.
According to Head of CPCE Primary and Nursery Centre in New Amsterdam, Mr Isaac Moore, the Best Graduating Student for the Primary level is Devwattie Chatterdharry, while the Best Graduating Nursery Student was Durpattie Jainarine.
Forty-six teachers graduated from the Primary Programme (in Berbice), while 43 gained passes. Forty-two received Credits and one teacher received Pass; three were referred and did not graduate.
In the Nursery level, 17 students wrote the exams and 15 graduated. Eleven students passed with Credit, while four received Pass and two were referred, which means that they did not meet the requirement to graduate and would have to re-sit one subject.