– to help them become more proactive

SEEKING to address the needs and challenges of the education system, the Ministry of Education has launched a three-day Education Leadership Conference targeting headteachers nationwide.
The event is being organised by the Ministry, through the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) and began at the Roraima Duke Lodge on Monday.
Head teachers in attendance from all ten administrative regions will receive leadership skills training on how to improve communication, overcome challenges, achieve and set goals and fulfil their truest potential.
The sessions will be guided by a panel of facilitators, who will aid discussions in keeping with the theme, ‘Leading schools in a changing world and the challenges change brings with holding people to account’.

Attending the opening ceremony were Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry; Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson; Director of NCERD, Jennifer Cumberbatch and the heads of several other organisations.
In his welcoming remarks, Hutson said that the conference will also help to prepare head teachers to be more proactive, to better prioritize their time and to effectively create positive changes in the minds of the future.
He added that people are the most important component of any system, and as such every opportunity for personal development should be capitalized upon.
“We at the Ministry of Education believe that you have what it takes to be the change we want to see and that this why you are here today. It is therefore obligatory that you remain focused, absorb every bit of information that will be shared with you today and, more importantly, seek to transfer what you will learn to the classroom and to all those who are under your sphere of influence,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister Henry said that the training is a part of the ministry’s mandate to close the gaps in leadership and will provide teachers with information on leadership theories, concepts and approaches.
She added that apart from fostering improvement in communication, the training will encourage the formations of professional relations between leaders and subordinates for greater and collective accomplishments.
“This leadership conference will set the pace for the much-needed change in education today. We have a great opportunity at this time through this conference for growth, exploration, learning and development,” she said.
Education was established as the highest funded sector within the national budget which Henry says is testament to the importance the Government places on the future.
She then encouraged the head teachers to engage in networking for the sharing of best practices as they assist in moving the education system forward to the level it ought to be.

One of the main facilitators of the leadership conference is Director of the LEAD Curriculum Company, Dennise Hilliman who also delivered remarks.
She told the gathering that conference must be a “symbiotic experience” as its organizers aim to impact change in leadership, curriculum and accountability.
Hilliman commended the Ministry of Education, Minster Henry and the Director of NCERD for utilizing different tactics for the improvement of school leaders.
Encouraging the head teachers, she said: “This conference is laying the foundation for our schools to respond to regional, national and international changes…let us all take full advantage of the opportunity this conference experience presents.
“The future of our education system will be bright not just for you, but for everyone that will follow you as a leader.”

Other facilitators who will sit on the panel include: Country Manager of Scotia Bank Guyana, Raymond Smith; International Business Consultant, Rosh Khan; Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Ivelaw Griffith; and Regional Coordinator and Technical Adviser on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at CARICOM, Jennifer Britton.