SOME 35 recently appointed school managers from across the country were on Monday apprised of their roles and expectations at a four-day workshop organized by the Principal Education Officer of Georgetown, Marcel Hutson.
The seminar, which was attended primarily by teachers in the city, was facilitated by former Deputy Chief Education Officer for Administration, Owen Alleyne, and stems from a component of the Ministry of Education 2008-2013 Education Strategic Plan.
During the four-day exercise senior teachers were instructed in several areas, including teachers’ accountability, effective school management and supervision, and proper keeping of the Ministry of Education’s records, documents and desk manual.
Hudson, speaking at the conclusion of workshop held at the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School, said that the initiative sought to gear the newly appointed teachers with the requisite skills and attitudes to successfully transit from their former posts to their new portfolios.
The Principal Education Officer said that he expects higher quality work, greater supervision and better results from their respective schools, a primary goal of the Ministry of Education.
He pointed out that the Ministry has initiated several initiatives to address problems of illiteracy and numeracy in schools, with encouraging results, and that the new school managers will have to play their part to maintain the success, and to eventually eradicate this shortcoming from the school system.
Hutson also stressed that the new seniors will be closely monitored in an effort to ensure that they deliver on the expectations of the Ministry.
The workshop is part of a wider initiative of the Ministry of Education to continuously orient and upgrade teachers to be more responsive to the changing demands of the school system.
Education Minister Shaik Baksh has repeated at numerous fora that quality teachers are the ones who generate real difference in their students, and has also underscored the importance of continuous training and professional development.