‘…all untrained teachers must be enrolled at Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) by September 2010’ – Minister Shaik Baksh
EDUCATION Minister Shaik Baksh, unveiling more plans for reform, announced Monday that, excluding exceptional circumstances, all untrained teachers must be enrolled at Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) by September 2010.

Composite photo shows Minister Shaik Baksh addressing headteachers on Monday

Mr. Baksh explained that the move is in keeping with his ministry’s strategic plan to increase the number of trained teachers in the school system from the current 53 per cent to 70 per cent over the next five years, taking the attrition rate into account.

The gathering, including Minister within the Ministry, Dr Desrey Fox and senior education officials, also comprised scores of school heads from nursery, primary and secondary levels.

Baksh told them the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) will be issuing letters to effect the compulsory training to all in the target group.

The Minister pointed out, too, that a team has been established to strengthen links between CPCE and University of Guyana (UG).

He said that team will, in another three months, submit to him a report, on the integration of the CPCE curriculum with that of UG, to shorten the study time at both institutions.

Presently, Baksh observed, it takes three years at CPCE to secure a trained teacher’s certificate and four years at UG for a Degree in Education. On completion of the stints at both institutions, a teacher becomes a trained graduate.

He said the Education Ministry is proposing that the CPCE curriculum be truncated to two years and, at the end of that programme, teachers be awarded an Associate Degree in Education.

Baksh said those teachers can then proceed to UG and complete the degree programme which will also be of two years duration.

He said his ministry is working to introduce an online distance education degree programme, hoping that it would materialise in another two or three years.

Towards that objective, Baksh disclosed that the first 40 teachers have completed their master’s in education programme at UG and his ministry has received funding for another batch.

According to him, the deployment of quality teachers and learning materials to get depressed communities on par with the top schools and create a level playing field remains a major challenge.

GOAL
But he said efforts are being made in that direction and the long term goal is to raise the standards of grade B and C schools to a higher level, so that a student, notwithstanding the score attained at the national grade six examination, will go to any school of choice.

However, Baksh said for this to happen and ensure progress in the sector, headteachers must exercise greater leadership skills and the poor supervision at the regional level has to change immediately.

He posited that this problem can only be solved through a partnership approach with his inspectorate working in tandem with school managers.

Further on the issue of supervision, Baksh said, even though the Schools Welfare Officers Unit has been strengthened, data on 2007 attendance in Region Four indicate that the nursery rate was 75 per cent, primary 67 per cent and secondary 54 per cent.

He said his ministry is aiming to raise the students’ attendance rate to 90 per cent at all school levels in the system within the next five years and has set up a broad-based committee to aid in the quest.

Baksh said teachers have to make changes for this purpose, pointing out that another 2007 report has shown their attendance rate was 77 per cent.

He said the compilation stated that punctuality in Regions Three and Four and Georgetown was also an issue, as total time loss accumulated amounted to 72 days in Region Three, 184 days in Georgetown and one year in Region Four.

Baksh said these shortcomings have to be urgently addressed to achieve the desired progress in schools and for Government to get value for taxpayers’ money.

He said his ministry is willing to work with teachers in this regard and will establish a committee to look into those issues.
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Time to board the train
CONSULTATIONS on Guyana’s bid for an historic and ambitious climate change strategy kick off this week with outreaches in hinterland and other communities.

The government wants to table the plan at the crucial United Nations conference for a new global climate change regime in Copenhagen, Denmark in December and the draft is up for widespread discussion and possible refinement.

At the formal launch of the draft strategy last week, President Bharrat Jagdeo said that at the core of the consultation is a key question: “As our country embarks on a second generation of economic reform and infrastructural development, how can we do this in a manner which aligns our national development needs with the global need to combat climate change?”

“This question is grounded in the fact that too many people around the world continue to see combating climate change and promoting national development as conflicting objectives”, he noted.

President Jagdeo said the draft Low Carbon Development Strategy which is being circulated “lays out the key elements of how we might change this paradigm in Guyana, and how we can provide a model for rainforest countries across the globe.”

Guyana’s model has already found favour among other stakeholders and influential governments and partners, including Norway, as a result of the international lobbying efforts the President has been spearheading.

At the launching of the 58-page document, the President noted, “The only way we can halt deforestation for the long-term, is by providing productive economic and employment alternatives in rainforest countries and at a scale which out-competes the current drivers of deforestation.”

“This has been at the core of Guyana’s vision since we started advocating for an effective deal at Copenhagen”, he said.

There has been favourable local reaction so far to the Guyana move but grudging and cautious support from the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

The PNCR, in a statement issued at its weekly press briefing Friday, said any strategy aimed at fostering economic development in an environmentally sustainable manner is to be commended.

But it argues that the Low Carbon Development Strategy should have been the end result of the consultations and claims that the strategy ignores the work and research of the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development

However, after the launching Monday, Mr. Dane Gobin, CEO of the Iwokrama Centre, said the strategy is a very positive move.

He told the Guyana Chronicle, “The President showed that he is committed to the process of using Guyana’s rainforest to combat climate change … (the strategy) fits in perfectly with Iwokrama’s sustainable vision … we want to prove that forests are worth more alive than dead and the way to do that is through the development of sustainable forest businesses using multiple forest resources. So it fits in very well with the work and vision of Iwokrama.”

There will be differences of opinions which can be freely expressed in a democratic society.

But these should be offered with a look at the bigger picture and not as opportunities for scoring narrow political points.

We feel the PNCR may not be seeing the forest for the trees and is in danger of missing the train on what can redound to Guyana’s benefit in the international battle for climate change.