In Region Two…
ANOTHER batch of teachers, numbering 59, have graduated from the Education Management Certificate course in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam). At the recent fifth Graduation and Prize-giving Ceremony, in Cotton Field Secondary School, on Essequibo Coast, master trainer Mr. Maydha Persaud said the training started in 2008.
Also a member of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), he said it has been recognised and agreed that one of the key factors influencing effectiveness is the nature and quality of the leadership and management provided by each school head.
Persaud told the gathering, including headteachers, that the head is said to be the heart of an institution and the leadership style of the individual is the heartbeat.
He said an effective head must instill in the staff that good teaching is about substance and treating schoolchildren as consumers of knowledge.
Persaud said the Ministry of Education is providing enormous financial material and human resources but, in many cases, output is far below what is expected.
He said a survey was done to ascertain the poor performance in some schools and it found that one of the factors responsible is the leadership displayed by many  heads.
Persaud said it is against that backdrop that the Education Ministry, through the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), embarked on the Education Management Certificate course, in an attempt to improve school performance and meet the needs of the children.
He said the course was introduced to Guyana in 2000, as a joint effort of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Ministry of Education, started in Region Two as a pilot project.
It is the brainchild of the Commonwealth of Learning and was first conducted in Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, all in Africa.

Resounding success
According to Persaud, with its resounding success, it was then taken to Belize and then brought to Guyana.
He said, in 2000, it was piloted in Region Two for 30 headteachers and the master trainers were from Guyana and Canada and the outcome was a resounding success.
Persaud informed that, since 2003, the course has been undergone by school administrators in all 10 Regions under the management of the NCERD Director and conducted by Regional Master Trainers.
It is of 18 months duration and spawns five school terms and he said it is very beneficial, already resulting in improved school discipline and examination results.
Persaud said the course qualification is also used for senior promotions and is given six points which is equal to that for a Certificate in Education at the University of Guyana (UG).
Delivering the charge to the certified graduates was Headmaster of Anna Regina Multilateral School, Mr. Lalljeet Ruplall.
Teacher Reymona Ramlall, adjudged the best graduate and second placed nationally, received a number of trophies for her outstanding performance.
Also in attendance at the function were Regional Executive Officer, Mr. Sunil Singh and Regional Development Officer, Mr. Daneshwar Gangoo, as well as Mr. Andrew Kartik from Ministry of Education and other senior officers of the Ministry.