MOE/Nexgen Golf Academy commence training for Teachers

Oct 22, 2021 Sports

Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Education, Allied Arts Unit, in association with Nexgen Golf Academy has commenced training for Physical Education Teachers in the sport of golf in Regions Two, Four and Five.

Teachers going through their paces at the academy yesterday

The training commenced yesterday at the Academy, Woolford Avenue and will last for one week, bringing the total number of Secondary Schools with access to golf to eighty-two (82) and allowing as many as eight thousand (8,000) students access to one of the few fully compliant Covid-19 sports.
Ms. Barker-King, Head of the Allied Arts Unit, thanked the Honorable Priya Manickchand-Minister of Education, Mr. Alfred King-Permanent Secretary, Dr. Marcel Hutson-Chief Education Officer and Ms. June Ann Gonsalves-ACEO Secondary, for their unwavering and full support of the rapid implementation of the sport in the school’s curriculum.
PE Teachers from Annandale, Buxton, Bladen Hall, LBI, Hope, Covent Garden, St. Cuthbert, Diamond, Lancaster, Friendship, Plaisance, Dora, No. 8, Woodley Park, Ft. Wellington, Bush Lot, Belladrum, Novar, Mahaicony, Bygeval, and Rosignol Secondary Schools are currently undertaking the training.
President of the Academy, Aleem Hussain and Allied Arts Physical Education Officer, Kurt Braithwaite, will travel to Region Two on October 27-28, 2021 to train Teachers from Abrams Zuil, Cottonfield, Johanna Cecelia, 8th of May, Charity, Aurora, Anna Regina and Wakapao Secondary Schools.
According to Ms. Barker-King, “There was a need for a sport that would allow our teachers and learners to safely participate in physical activities and golf has uniquely qualified to meet all of the requirements. The Honorable Minister and Senior Members of the education system understood that and moved quickly to ensure that there were tools necessary to implement the sport in as many schools as possible.”
Ms. Barker-King further stated that without the determination of Hussain, who is active in training, seeking out contributions from sponsors and donors, the implementation of this programme would have taken much longer.
“We are happy to have found a great partner who has the knowledge and expertise to promote the sport. Together, in less than ten months, we have accomplished a monumental task and the results are phenomenal. In 2022, for the first time in our country’s history, golf will be offered as a sport at the CXC level.”
Mr. Braithwaite said that this was just the first stages of development of the game and he expected that it will be made available to all grades and not just the upper levels in the New Year.
“We would like to see learners from Grades 7-9 getting involved in the sport. This would evidently contribute to twenty-five thousand (25,000) young persons’ being involved in the sport. With the plans already in place for the inter-school and regional competitions, we firmly believe that we can go places.
Mr. Hussain explained that it was a chance conversation in 2019 with Ms. Melissa Dow-Richardson from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport that contributed to golf being on the CXC syllabus which further led to the promotion of the sport in schools.
“The challenge was how to educate the PE Teachers so a syllabus was designed and then a ‘Trainer of Trainers’ programme was conducted. Once completed, this allowed for the distribution of golf equipment and balls to certified schools.”
Mr. Hussain posited that his current focus is to build top quality facilities across the nation to provide the learners with access to playing the sport under conducive conditions. “We are in the process of completing the first of its kind, scaled golf course in Crane and will also commence Leonora Secondary School facility shortly. We have asked NICIL for access to land in various regions to construct other small courses and are awaiting a response.”
“I’m positive that now that we’ve raised awareness and started a phenomenal programme in the shortest time possible. With more support from the government and private sector the sport will continue to grow and more golf facilities can be forthcoming.”
“With Texila American University, School of the Nations, Camille’s School and several other private schools joining the sport, our main goal is to develop a national team. Guyanese PGA players and attain regional dominance in the sport, all leading to Guyana becoming a golf destination. We can expect that more developers will seek to build communities around golf courses to cater for the influx of expatriates and remigrants, for whom golf is a preferred game of choice.”
Aleem stated that this will allow for greater networking opportunities for Guyanese, since golf was not a traditional sport. However, since the Allied Arts Unit and Nexgen Golf Academy have a common goal which is to make golf a core sport in Guyana. And in less than three years, based on the results so far, that vision no longer seems farfetched.