UG research should guide changes in education sector - COI proposes

UG research should guide changes in education sector – COI proposes

May 04, 2017 News

The actions of the Ministry of Education should be guided by informed research coming out from the University of Guyana [UG]. In this regard a recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry [COI] into the Ministry of Education points to the need for greater collaboration between the university and the Education Ministry.
Speaking on this state of affairs recently was Chairman of the COI, Mr. Ed Caesar. He revealed that “many years ago when I wore another cap [Chief Education Officer], the Ministry [of Education] [usually] submitted a list of topics that students could use to do research…Ms. Genevieve White-Nedd, a Chief Education Officer [too], also did that and the University allowed some of its students to do research in those [identified] areas.”
But that was a long time ago.
According to Caesar, following an examination of the education sector, the Commission has found the need for a return of such an approach. Moreover, the Commission has recommended that “we need to get back to that.
We need the Ministry to identify areas where they need more information, areas where the Ministry needs guidance and have students at UG do research in those areas, so that actions by the Ministry can be informed by research.”
In addition to this, Caesar said that the Commission following its inquiry is now able to suggest to the Education Ministry that the National Centre for Educational Research Development [NCERD] must have a research capacity too.
“Too many things are being tried in the system and they are not evaluated efficiently,” said Caesar.
He continued by pointing out that if there is a research capacity at NCERD when activities or programmes are piloted there must be some group of people to follow through by doing surveys. These surveys, he explained, will determine whether as a Ministry, moves are being made in the right direction.
In so doing, Caesar said that the Ministry will be able to ascertain “where the pitfalls are, identify where deficiencies are, and see where the strengths are too.”
“That [research] capacity should really be housed, so to speak, at NCERD, because training is part of the responsibility of NCERD. I dare say an aspect of the research area should be placed also, if it is not there, in the planning unit,” underscored the COI Chairman.
According to him, a key reason for a move in this direction is to look at the professional programmes in education and some of the activities to ensure that “we are in keeping with good structures, good activities and the direction for development of our young people.”
The proposed actions in this regard, according to Caesar, are very critical to the improvement of the education sector.

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