THE Ministry of Education (MOE) is hosting a series of public consultations countrywide with a number of key stakeholders in a coordinated effort to craft a model professional standards policy document for teachers.This process is designed to gain feedback on ways to improve the standards and to invite engagement from the profession.

The Ministry strongly believes the teaching profession will be significantly strengthened, further recognised and aptly placed among the other leading professions in Guyana, through the establishment of professional teacher standards.
The Ministry also said that professional standards for teachers would set expectations for achieving desired educational outcomes.

[box type=”shadow” align=”alignright” ]‘These standards are not intended as a tool for punitive action. Rather they reflect professional consensus of what is desirable in the supervision, leadership and delivery of education… These standards are aligned to the Organization of American States (OAS), CARICOM and other international standards’[/box]

PROFESSIONAL CONSENSUS
These standards are not intended as a tool for punitive action. Rather they reflect professional consensus of what is desirable in the supervision, leadership and delivery of education. They also provide a framework that permits professionals to engage in self-assessment. These standards are aligned to the Organization of American States (OAS), CARICOM and other international standards.

Professional standards offer the professional community specifications against which teachers are able to set goals for personal development and progress in the profession. The standards are multi-dimensional and give awareness to the key props for learning to take place, namely: a motivated and willing learner; effective teaching and learning and an enabling environment.
Copies of the draft professional standards for teachers were made available to teachers in printed form for their perusal and comments.

COMMENTS INVITED
The Ministry has also placed the document on its website, www.education.gov.gy to allow for additional comments to be made and to facilitate those who would like to contribute but are unable to be physically present at consultations. In addition, members of the public were invited to submit their comments on the document via email toeducationministry@gmail.com.

Sixty-one consultations on the Professional Standards for Teachers have been held across the country and the last public consultation meeting is scheduled for Paramakatoi Secondary School on July 29, 2014.