506 trained teachers added to education system

Dec 18, 2015 News

---

Just over 500 teachers received their certificates at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE)’s 81st graduation exercise, yesterday, at the National Cultural Centre. When the final roll was called the number of graduates was 506.
Chief Education officer, Olato Sam, praised the teachers for their hard work and dedication saying that he cannot “think of any religion whose central prophet is not considered as ‘teacher’ either directly within the respective holy text, or at the very least by implication.”
Teachers, he said, often spend their lives preparing students for opportunities they themselves may never have.
Sam commented upon the challenges the teachers face with regards to promotion, adequate remuneration, inadequate infrastructure and “outdated” curriculum.
Perhaps, he said, the work of a teacher is so ubiquitous and pervading that often the disastrous consequences their absences could bring is not recognized. “No one, after all notices the lung unless it is suffered some grievous injury- education, knowledge, is the oxygen upon which this society will depend for survival and the teaching service is the organ which processes it for our consumption,” said Sam.

Sam charged the teachers to not give up on the “war” that is education. It is their “duty to be at the forefront of the struggle against ignorance, poverty, division and underdevelopment.”
President David Granger recently outlined the crisis and challenges in the education system, inclusive of the extremely high rate of decimation that impacts the teaching profession, with half as many teachers being dismissed from the system as they are entering on an annual basis
Principal of CPCE, Viola Rowe, commented on the major challenges and notable successes the institution has had. The recruitment of part time staff, she said, remained a challenge.  There was not the right “skill mix” to supervise distance education students on their in-school practicum attachment. Staff for the areas of Physical Education, Music Education and Information and Communication technology (ICT) also remained a challenge. The college was unable to offer those disciplines as specializations.
However, the institution has had its share of successes as ten staff members completed studies at the Master’s level, while nine continued to pursue their programme of study. Lecturers also completed Intensive Training Programmes in pedagogical practices in critical areas such as Mathematics, Science, multi Grade Teaching, teaching of reading and writing, guidance and counseling, English as a second language and special education needs.
She added that with the exception of one, all staff members received Government of Guyana scholarships through the Guyana Improving Teacher Education Project.
Fourteen students who accessed the ADE one-year programme were awarded the Level of Attainment of Distinction and 13, the level of attainment for credit. On the ADE two-year programme, nine students gained distinction; 418 passed with credit and three passed.
Students who received distinctions are Devon Thomas from the One-year ADE programme. Tameshwor Mohabir, Narendra Lall, Delicia Vancooten, Nick Edwards, Kamini Debi Singh, Alyne Ann-Downes, Dianne Abigail Persaud, Sherry Ann Austin and Anthony Ray Chatterpaul in the two-year ADE programme.
Fourteen students passed with credit and 16 attained a pass on the TTC programme.
Of the 506 graduates, 104 are early childhood trained, 196 are primary trained, 192 are secondary level trained. Fourteen were trained as technical instructors.
Of the total number of students presented, 88 per cent were females. This was reportedly a nine percent increase in the number of men graduating in the reporting period over the previous period.
CPCE prizes were presented to Lynette Fiedtkou and Donna Ambrose. Tameshwor Mohabir received the Prime Minister’s Prize, the CPCE prize, the Director NCERD prize and a prize for the most outstanding student of region six.
Other students who received prizes were Nikita Natasha La Rose, Delicia Vancooten, Nick Edwards, Narendra Lall, Kerissa Williamson, Cordacia Kar-Ann Grimmond, Alyne-Ann Downes, Stacy Janice Monah-Gomes, Ratna Hemraj, Stepon Dass & Rukmini Nadram. Also, Chandradai Nandalall, Simonetta Northe, Taleshia Devi Munilall, Esther Sinclair, Neela Persaud, Schemlyn Naomi Benjamin, Cordacia Kare-Ann Grimmond, Rishi Naraine, Alyne-Ann Downes, Devon Thomas, Gilly Ann Davis, Narendra lall, Delicia Vancooten, Kerissa Williamson, Melisa Menever Melville, Val Ann Edwin, Antonia Barjoan and Nick Edwards and Valence Austin.
The CPCE offers a One-year Associate’s Degree in Education programme, a two year Associate’s Degree in Education programme, trained teacher’s certificate (TTC) and teacher upgrading programme (TUP).

---

---