-to be expanded later this year
RECOGNIZING the need for adequately trained teachers in secondary schools, the National Centre for Resource Development (NCERD), last year introduced a non-graduate certificate course for Mathematics and English teachers. The course is expected to be made mandatory shortly.

Director of NCERD, Mohandatt Goolsarran said since its introduction, this course has seen tremendous success.

He said, the emphasis of these courses is on building teachers’ content to help in their delivery of these subjects at the secondary level.

The 18-month course which is mainly delivered through distance education requires teachers to sit an examination at the mid-point of the course followed by an assessment that is administered simultaneously in all regions at the end of the course.

Teachers are supplied with assignment booklets, in addition to textbooks. They work from about 16 modules and teachers who reside in hinterland communities where the National Communication’s Network (NCN) signal is inaccessible, will have copies of the programme supplied to them on DVDs.

The NCERD Director pointed out that the examination has already been administered and the results have been encouraging

He said, about 18 Mathematics and 120 English teachers are enrolled in the course.

Goolsarran noted that later this year the course will also include the different science subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Information Technology.

Additionally, NCERD in 2002 introduced a Certificate in Education Management course which lasts for 18-months. Already about 1,000 teachers have been trained in this course. Through the Certificate in Education Management, credit is given for appointment as head-teacher.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) reported that currently 600 teachers are enrolled, and this course is also delivered through the Distance Education mode.

Recently, NCERD built into the course an e-learning component so that teachers can access it online.