MARCEL Hutson has been confirmed as the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of the Ministry of Education. Hutson has been acting in the position since August 2016 following the decision of the government not to renew the contract of former CEO, Olato Sam.

In an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), on Monday, Hutson said he assumed duties as CEO on May 10. “I received a letter from the Public Service Commission giving approval for my appointment as Chief Education Officer,” Hutson said.

He described his confirmation as bringing legitimacy to his undertaking. “Whatever I am doing now as a CEO, the confirmation brings legitimacy to the office,” Hutson said. He continued: “Sometimes when you have an office, but you are not confirmed, sometimes you tend to be wavering because you do not want to pretend to be what you are not, and so the fact of the matter is with confirmation brings legitimacy to the office, and therefore, I could be more confident and certain with what I am doing as Chief Education Officer.”

Hutson said that at the end of his tenure he hopes to leave a legacy of literate and numerate Guyanese children. “I wish that my legacy can be that our children can read at grade level and our children are able to matriculate, that is, pass English and Mathematics and go on to higher levels of studies,” the recently appointed CEO said.

He believes that “Without a literate and numerate society, we cannot be productive and prosperous, and so I will be moving in that direction and I hope that many of my colleagues and stakeholders would come alongside me and the ministry as we move education forward.”

Hutson has a Trained Class 1 Grade 1 Teacher’s Certificate, a Bachelor of Social Science Degree in Sociology, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education Administration and a Master’s in Education Management, Planning and Supervision.

Additionally, he holds a certificate in the Management and Delivery of Education in Guyana via the Ministry of Education’s first Teacher Cadet Scheme, a Certificate in Reforming School Supervision for Quality Improvement (IIEP) through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and a Certificate of Training in Project Management through the Government of Guyana and Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). (GINA)