Public school educators get exposure to improved early childhood practices

Aug 04, 2017 News

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“It is critical that we, from the inception, emphasise STEAM and not just STEM.”
This assertion was yesterday made by Mr. Vincent Alexander, former Technical Facilitator to former Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine.
Alexander made the remark as he addressed a gathering of educators at the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown. The occasion was the opening ceremony for a two-day early-childhood workshop for educators within the public education system. The workshop represents collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the United States-based Guyana-Jamaica Friendship Association [GJFA].
Held under the theme – “investing in Early Childhood Education for successful lifelong learning,” the workshop is designed to help local educators improve the way they discharge their teaching methods, aided by culturally appropriate means.
Speaking at the start of the forum, Alexander, who recently parted ways with the Ministry of Education, congratulated the organisers of the workshop for giving keen attention to, among other things, STEAM.
STEAM is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. But according to Alexander, “ever so often you hear about STEM, STEM, STEM, but without STEAM there can be no STEM.” STEM is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
“I would like to acknowledge the fact that today the emphasis is not merely on STEM, it is on STEAM, because it is my view that there is no art without Science, and similarly, there is no science without Art. So we have to emphasise both the Sciences and the Arts if we are going to be successful as a nation,” Alexander asserted.
He added, “Today I stand here just a few days after my second attempt at retirement. That I served at the Ministry of Education must be attributed to the former Minister Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine who invited me to work with him in that job I was given, Technical Facilitator. Among what I might have done was an attempt to live up to that title being a connection rod, a conduit,” said Alexander.

He moreover added, “I am very glad to see that this activity has come to fruition. This activity represents two significant things that are happening in our nation at this time, there is much talk about the Diaspora and Diaspora Engagement, [but] we here are not talking about it, we are experiencing a model of that engagement.” Alexander’s remarks in this regard prompted a round of applause from his attentive audience.
In continuing his deliberations, Alexander observed that there is much talk about the education system and the transformation which is required of that system. However, he added, “I would hasten to say that fundamental to that transformation is what happens in nursery education in some regards, as we transform the system we have to grow that transformation from the bottom right through.”
But according to Alexander “…true transformation will in fact come when we have grown from nursery right through to tertiary, building on what we are doing now in nursery.” As such he underscored “this engagement is very, very important. It is not a one-off, it is not a short term; we are in for the long haul.”
Alexander expressed appreciation to the GJFA, which he said, largely spearheaded the workshop, along with officials of the Education Ministry.
Among the facilitators who were scheduled to conduct sessions during the course of the workshop were: Dr. Claudia Williams on ‘Home School Transition/Connections’; Doctors Carl Darcy and Norma Ellis Wright on ‘Promoting young children’s language development’; Dr. Parthener Pinder on ‘the benefits of movements and games for early learners’; Dr. Evelyn Castro on ‘Culturally responsive teaching supporting and engaging diverse learners in the classroom’ and Dr. Gloria Thompson on ‘Building a pathway for STEAM in the early childhood classroom’.
Dr. Thompson, who has responsibility to coordinate the education activities of the GJFA, was in fact tasked with organising the ongoing workshop.
GJFA President, Guyana-born, Dr. Frank Denbow, said that the not-for-profit Association which came into being in 2014, has been involved in health and education initiatives in both Guyana and Jamaica.
With Dr. Thompson, an educator of more than four decades, as the point person, the Association has been giving keen attention to primary education.
“In talking with Dr. Thompson the view is that the best way to start is at the very beginning. Early childhood education is from pre-kindergarten to Grade Two. This is what we are focusing on and the best way, we thought, is to have a symposium and workshops to have teachers, head teachers and district officers from all 10 regions, and we have been able to achieve that with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education,” said Dr. Denbow.
He noted that the Association has essentially started a process aimed at building capacity to improve early childhood practices. It is expected, Dr. Denbow said, that a working document will be produced at the end of the two-day workshop to help chart a sustained improved early childhood agenda.
In lauding the support of GJFA, Curriculum Development Officer at the Ministry’s National Centre for Educational Resource Development [NCERD], Ms Sandra Persaud, said, “Partnering with you is important to us. We are all aware that partnership is essential and the outcome is remarkable.”
According to her, literature has proven that partnerships not only encourage committed leadership but strong relationships and common goals among partners. In fact, she revealed that “It is widely accepted that partnership and collaboration are central to early childhood professionals’ roles, with benefits not just for children, but also for children’s families and the professionals themselves.”
As such, Persaud stressed in her presentation the importance of recognising that early experiences affect all aspects of development from the maturing brain to the expanding experience of the child.
“Our focus…is ‘how can we use knowledge to nurture, protect and ensuring the health and well being of all young children’. I can assure you that the key to success is through equal access, quality education and being accountable,” Persaud asserted.

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