Latest update April 8th, 2025 7:13 AM
Planned initiatives to better incorporate TVET in school system
New initiatives are on the verge of being revealed by the Ministry of Education that will ensure that Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is no longer an alternative pathway. This disclosure was made by Chief Education Officer (CEO), Olato Sam, who Tuesday revealed that an announcement to this effect will be soon vocalised by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand.
Chief Education
Officer, Olato Sam
“You will see TVET centrally integrated into the structures so that there is one seamless route that leads you right through the system to technical institutes, to higher learning at the tertiary level…” Sam intimated during a stakeholders’ forum at the Millennium Manor Hotel on Tuesday.
The core of the matter, he underscored, is the recognition that TVET can no longer be placed on the sides anymore but rather has to play a central role in relations to all initiatives in the education system. “I would love to know that I can stand one day and declare to this nation that as part of the basket of subjects we recommend for our students to write at CSEC that there has to be at least one TVET subject, but we are not there yet,” noted the CEO.
He, nevertheless, revealed that steps have been taken to ensure that the Secondary School Competency Certificate Programme, which is now the competency based education and training (TVET) approach in secondary schools, is now being integrated into a pathway that lead individuals towards options to further Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) approaches. Such approaches can also help persons to graduate directly into technical institutes or university, Sam added.
More importantly, this measure will allow for individuals to be certified in order to allow them mobility in Guyana or further afield, Sam said. “They will leave the education system with something tangible in their hands that can pronounce on their competency in these very critical areas,” said the CEO who went on to note that “we are happy to be at that place right now because this has been a journey.”
He pointed out too that another critical area is that “we now have to match our attitudes and our behaviours with the policy initiatives that we are undertaking which is why I am happy to see that many of our head teachers and heads of institutions are here,” said Sam.
However, at the secondary level, he disclosed that there are unfortunately still teachers and heads of departments who still seek to discourage some young people from venturing into the area of TVET. “They say to them if you are this gifted why pursue technical vocational educational options and in essence undermine the potential for our nation to benefit from the best and the brightest in our education system,” said Sam.
He, as a result, pointed out that there continues to be individuals who have very traditional attitudes in relation to what the TVET area of pursuit holds. Moreover, he noted that moves must be made to move beyond the traditional backward mindset. This, he said, can be overcome by pointing out the value of TVET for personal and national development. “Every area that is key to the development of Guyana has at its core some technical pursuit that has to be recognised, has to be developed and has to be really pushed from the earliest levels in our education system,” said Sam.
He therefore noted that “I am very happy that the TVET Council, our national training agency, has gotten to the point where we are ready to move on to our next step.”
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
AI machines at the gate
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-The call center was once the second chance for the school-leaver who never got past CXC.... more
The U.S. “Joining” the Commonwealth: an unreasonable expectation
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- Recent media stories have suggested that King Charles III could “invite” the United... more
Weekend Cartoon
