THE Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and Microsoft, is focusing attention on the implementation of plans to develop the capacity of local teachers to use technology more effectively in the classroom.

Last year, working with the partnership, the Commonwealth Secretariat has developed a roadmap to implement UNESCO’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Competence Framework for Teachers.

This internationally recognized framework provides clear pathways for teachers to develop their ability to use computers effectively to support teaching and learning.

In a statement, the Ministry of Education said it hosted two consultants last week from the Commonwealth Secretariat, Anthony Ming and Neil Butcher, to advance this important project.

According to the ministry, the consultants are working closely with Information Technology Coordinator, Marcia Thomas and Head of the MIS Unit, Yoganand Indarsingh, (both of the Ministry of Education) to develop a six-month plan to strengthen local strategies to build the capacity of teachers in this area.

Education Minister Shaik Baksh, who met with the consultants a few days ago, said ICT is a major plank of the Ministry’s 2008-2013 Education Strategic Plan and noted that their work will go a far way in the push to aid the knowledge-deepening process and the realization of government’s vision to bridge the digital divide.

The ministry, in the Strategic Plan, is hoping to equip all secondary schools and 50 percent of primary schools with IT laboratories by 2013.

To date, work on 70 of 110 secondary schools has been completed and Baksh has reported that the remainder will be completed this year. Also, some 60 primary schools have already been equipped with IT laboratories and another 40 will be outfitted this year.

The government has approved some US$1.4M for the purchase of computers for secondary schools and the Global Partnership for Literacy (GPL) has made a commitment to install systems in 50 schools.

GPL has, so far, done so at six schools and Baksh said he has been in contact with the organization to honour its stated commitment. Each school will have at least 30 computers.

Apart from this, the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) is aiming to train at least 1,500 teachers in the school system this year to use the computer as a teaching and learning tool.
Marcia Thomas has reported that, to date, some 150 teachers have completed basic IT training and the training programme has been extended to the regions, notably Regions Two, Six, 10 and Georgetown.
The Ministry of Education is also moving to double the number of students sitting IT at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
Ming pointed out that from this month to September this year, several essential activities will be completed namely, “the development of a new set of training modules for teachers; a thorough review of two key components of the ICT in Education Initiative; a comprehensive audit of the current capacity of Guyana’s teachers to use ICT effectively; working with global partners to secure international accreditation for these training modules; and the implementation of a robust, three-tiered governance model.

The ministry said the development of a new set of training modules for teachers is designed to help teachers move beyond basic information literacy to ‘Knowledge Deepening’, to harness technology more effectively in the classroom.

These new modules will be developed by NCERD, with specialist input and support from Commonwealth Secretariat Educational Technology specialist and a wider International Advisory Committee appointed to provide ongoing advice to the Ministry regarding its ICT in Education Initiative.

NCERD will also be collaborating with the Cyril Potter College of Education and the University of Guyana (UG) to integrate these modules, with suitable modification, into pre-service teacher training programmes, so that all new teachers coming into the system will be equipped with the skills required for effective ICT integration.

The review of two key components of the ICT in Education Initiative is part of COL ongoing capacity-building programme for teachers and deployment of the Success Maker software in schools.

In this way, it will receive important inputs to help the ministry to assess the effectiveness of key aspects of the initiative and adjust the activities based on the results of the reviews.

The comprehensive audit of the current capacity of Guyana’s teachers to use ICT effectively will enable the ministry to monitor the ICT in Education Initiative and its educational impact on an ongoing basis, leading to better investments in this area.

The Ministry of Education said it is confident that these activities, combined with other ongoing projects in the field of ICT in education, will make a significant contribution to the ongoing efforts to use education to create an ICT-literate society, knowledgeable workforce, and a better life for all Guyanese.