National Science Coordinator helping Region to advance Science Education

Mar 05, 2017 News

Guyana has not been taking Science for granted. In fact, Guyana through the expertise of its National Science Coordinator, Ms. Petal Punalall-Jetoo, has been playing a major role in enhancing knowledge in this regard not only

National Science Coordinator, Petal Punalall-Jetoo

here in Guyana but across the Caribbean.
Punalall-Jetoo is attached to the Ministry of Education’s National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) which has been making considerable strides to advance science in the school system.
This is particularly emphasised annually when the Ministry spearheads it national science fair which encourages both teachers and students country-wide to utilise their Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) knowledge to develop projects that can help to improve the environment.
The Ministry’s moves in this regard have over the years gained considerable support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
It was during the period 2010-2015 UNESCO injected its support towards the implementation of Inquiry Based Science and Mathematics Education approach for selected primary schools in Guyana.
It was during 2011 for instance that UNESCO trained a national team of science educators on its Global Micro-science Experiment Project. The Micro-science approach provides developed and developing countries with new teaching tools.
The experimental techniques that can be covered on a micro-scale include everything from separating the components of mixtures to measuring rates of reactions between chemicals.
Tasked with spearheading this venture has been Punalall-Jetoo.
With her guidance, Guyana has been able to successfully pilot and expand this laudable initiative in secondary schools in an effort to support the improvement of the quality of science education and provide resources to schools with limited access to science laboratory facilities.
The experiments have been linked to the Caribbean Examinations Council’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) requirement for Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
With Punalall-Jetoo in the forefront Guyana has been able to develop a laudable science model and has been able to effectively implement it.
Through the guidance of the UNESCO Kingston Cluster Officer for the Caribbean, Guyana’s implementation model was shared with the rest of the Caribbean through a sub-regional project in 2015.
Guyana, moreover, was given the auspicious opportunity to lead this sub-regional project allowing it to partner with Belize and St. Lucia. This project is now being expanded to the Caribbean territories including: Belize, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.
Under the leadership of Punalall-Jetoo, too, Guyana also successfully integrated micro-science as a tool to infuse Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) and Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development (CCESD).
The National Science Coordinator during the course of 2016 was able to train 618 teachers
At the primary level, 12 workshops were facilitated by Punalall-Jetoo for teachers which exposed 244 of them to science training. These workshops included climate change education for sustainable development, content workshops for covering the physics component (magnetism, energy, forces) through the use of the micro-science kits.
The exposure to the micro-science kits allowed teachers to be exposed to the practical science skills (process skills) which fosters the development of critical thinking skills.
Workshops were held for Regions One, Two, Four, Five, Nine, Ten and Georgetown.
Training at the secondary level included 10 workshops that were held, and 50 school-based workshops. These workshops focused on the performance of science education, the use of practical activities to enhance learning of science.
The workshops also linked science education to sustainable development. In fact a blended approach with climate change education and inquiry based science education was shared.
Micro-science experiments were shared at all of the workshops and 374 teachers were trained in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Nine, Ten and Georgetown.
Because of her ability to successfully facilitate these science ventures Punalall-Jetoo has been tasked with coordinating the UNESCO sub-regional project.
She currently holds the auspicious title of Regional Project Coordinator and trainer for the Phase II expansion of the project in the Caribbean.
The expansion is being implemented under the guidance of the UNESCO Caribbean Cluster Officer in Kingston, Jamaica.
Punalall-Jetoo was last year invited by President of Emeritus of CARISCIENCE, Professor Harold Ramkissoon, who chairs the Caricom Science, Technology and Innovation Committee (CSTIC), to serve as a member until 2020.
Other distinguished members of CSTIC include other renowned science experts including: Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa; Deputy Principal of the Mona Campus, University of the West Indies; Dr. Arnoldo Ventura, former Advisor to the Prime Minister of Jamaica; Mr. James Husbands, Director of Solar Dynamics; Mr. Kent Mitchell, Scientist of Grenada, and Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, Professor Cardinal Warde who represents the Diaspora.
The Committee is one that has been mandated to, inter alia, swiftly promote the development of Science and Technology in Caricom as a tool for economic development by working closely with all Governments and scientific organisations in the region and serve as an advisory body to the Prime Minister responsible for Science and Technology in the Caribbean.
Just recently Government granted approval for Punalall-Jetoo to take her expertise to St. Kitts where a STEM Teacher training workshop is scheduled for March 29-30, 2017.
The workshop, which is being organised by the Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF) and the Caribbean Academy of Sciences (CAS), is expected to focus on having teachers better understand how students learn science.
Punalall-Jetoo is also a member of the CSF-CSA teaching team and therefore has a significant role as a facilitator at these workshops. She typically delivers the portion of the syllabus concerned with inquiry-based science and introduces participants to the UNESCO approved micro-science kits, Professor Warde explained in a correspondent seen by this publication.
This publication understands that in instances that the Chief Facilitator cannot be present Punalla-Jetoo assumes this role and effectively guides the participants through the workshop curriculum.
To date the CSF and the CAS have collaborated to host five successful STEM teacher training workshops in St. Vincent, Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica which have been held in close collaboration with the respective Ministries of Education.
The workshops have served to expand knowledge of STEM education and the nature of science, expose them to new methods of teaching STEM and serve to increase their confidence in the planning, teaching and assessment of STEM concepts.