THE Ministry of Education through the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) under the theme, “Towards Effective Schools through Efficient School Management,” graduated 35 senior educators from the Nursery, Primary and Secondary levels in Region Six, from the education management programme.

The Education Management Certificate is a two-year programme aimed at helping school administrators to enhance their accountability, confidence and competence in all areas of school administration and management.

The graduation exercise was held on Friday 9th, February at the St. Francis Community Developers Hall.

Delivering the featured address, Permanent Secretary (PS), Ministry of Education, Vibert Welch, told the graduating class that they are the new breed of pioneering education school managers. He said they have proven by passing this  course that they  are now equipped with the necessary leadership and administrative skills which make them  more efficient, effective and  respected school managers.

He urged that they utilise the three themes: stewardship, tact, and innovation in their everyday lives to achieve better outcomes. “The employment of these three themes in your everyday tasks offers a concrete understanding grounded in reality of how systems improve”, he said.

“I urge you to go forward in the name of Guyana’s children, commit to excellence and let your commitment to quality education for all, drive your purpose .You must also be confident and compassionate, demonstrate intelligence and innovativeness and bring powerful winds of improvement to Guyana’s education system,” the PS said.

Welch also used the opportunity to commit to the improvement of education in Guyana, while noting the key responsibilities as PS is to ensure that money is channelled in the right direction, so that such programmes can continue.
Further, he told the graduands that Minister Henry sees their induction into the managerial level of the education family as very significant.

Director of NCERD Jennifer Cumberbatch, while delivering her address, urged the graduands to use the opportunity to  maximise on what they have learnt. She also noted that the overall performance of students needs to be improved, hence the need for the training provided.

“What part can you play in all of this as graduates from a management programme? As leaders/managers we must walk the talk, you have learnt much about leadership , management principles, functions and skills, theories and practices ,decision-making, delegation, communications…education quality is at the heart of the nation’s agenda,” she said. “Access, as I see it, involves not only children attending school, but being given quality education and you are to oversee that,” she stressed.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman of Region Six, David Armogan, noted that over the years government has been spending the largest portion of the budget on education. He said years ago, teachers were placed into management positions without the requisite training and that has led to a deficiency gap between expected outcomes and actual outcomes. However, with the introduction of management training, that gap can be filled, since head teachers can perform better in the management of their respective schools.

“With the completion of this programme, you are given a certain level of authority, because you are not only teaching, but you are also going to manage and so management skills are different from teaching skills; and you have to be able to come to grips with that and when you are managing, you have to be fearless and equal to every person .You have to be fair and fearless”.

Regional Executive Officer Kim Stephens-Williams, charged the 35 graduands to be transformative leaders, be role models and display charismatic personality that influence others and lead by example. “We must manage without any sort of biasness, we must have core values such as trust, accountability and also inspire others”.

National Top Performer and Valedictorian, Muniram Purnwasi ,of Tagore Memorial Secondary noted that as school administrators they now have the privilege and responsibility to impact students’ lives positively, giving them reason to push forward and motivating them to succeed.

“We are more competent and equipped to manage our respective schools to achieve the highest level of effectiveness,” said Purnwasi.

He also urged his fellow graduating class mates to use their management skills to create a safe, conducive and caring environment in schools, so that everyone will achieve their highest potential.

Purnwasi was the recipient of the Ministry of Education’s top award for the overall National Top Performer, Department of Education Prize for Top Performer and the Regional Top Performer prize.

To date, 400 school administrators have graduated from the Education Management Course. Upon successful completion, participants are awarded a certificate of attainment which has 17 credits and a higher weighting than the Bachelors of Education degree, when applying for senior promotion in schools.