–as MoE unveils innovative plans to make education delivery virtual

MINISTER of Education Priya Manickchand announced Friday that training for teachers to be better equipped to teach using Online methods are on the cards, given the current COVID-19 situation forcing the prolonged closure of schools, driving the need for alternative and innovative means of education delivery.
Minister Manickchand said that the situation will also be addressed at the level of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), so that teachers coming from that institution are equipped to deliver virtual education.

“We’re looking at ensuring that our teachers can be trained, because many persons have said to us they don’t know how to teach Online. So, very shortly, you would see us rolling out a mass training exercise, where we will make sure every single teacher in the system is trained presently to deliver education using various new methods,” Minister Manickchand said, adding:

She added that: “We’re making sure that nobody leaves CPCE, going forward, without the ability to appreciate and use the various forums that exist, and are likely to come into being.”

The Minister was at the time speaking during a virtual meeting with Grade Five and Six teachers and other education stakeholders, where possible plans for the holding of the 2021 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) among other novel ideas were discussed.

During the meeting, which was attended by over 1000 participants, many of the teachers shared about the difficulties encountered in their attempts to administer virtual teaching to those students who had access to receiving materials.

Teachers in Guyana were forced to begin administering virtual teaching methods after schools were closed indefinitely since March 16, as a measure to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) here.

Many of the teachers have been utilising the social media platform, WhatsApp, to communicate with, and send and receive work from their students. However, the practice was largely voluntary, as all teachers did not have access to the necessary devices and reliable Internet supply.
During Friday’s forum, Minister Manickchand commended those teachers who, during the months of closure, have been finding ways and means of reaching out to their students and continuing work in whatever ways.

“Most schools have been closed since March and teachers without direction or assistance from the Ministry were left to determine the way forward. I am extremely impressed what teachers have done to reach our children and we want to say thank you very much because that required your own input and desire to teach the children,” she said.

As the school closure continued after March, many of the private schools began investing in interactive learning platforms such as Zoom, Edmodo, Google Meetings, Google Classroom and Abeka Academy, as well as social media platforms such as WhatsApp, so that they could’ve reopened their doors, virtually speaking.