-sessions aim to strengthen leadership, boost management, professional accountability
THE National Education Leadership Academy (NELA), through the Ministry of Education, has successfully conducted two national orientation sessions aimed at strengthening leadership, management, and professional accountability among recently promoted education leaders across Guyana’s public-school system.
According to a Ministry of Education (MoE) press release, the first session, held on October 23, 2026, targeted headteachers and principals, while the second session, held on October 28, 2026, catered to deputy headteachers, senior masters/mistresses, and heads of department. More than 2,000 educators from Guyana’s 11 education districts participated in the sessions, representing recently promoted teachers through the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and the School Boards Secretariat (SBS).
The orientations form part of NELA’s ongoing commitment to preparing education leaders to perform their responsibilities effectively, foster positive school environments, improve teaching and learning, and contribute meaningfully to the national education development agenda.
The orientation sessions focused on 10 critical areas of school leadership and management:
1. Roles and Responsibilities – Clarifying the duties, expectations, and professional obligations associated with leadership positions at different levels of the school system.
2. Transformational Leadership – Encouraging leaders to inspire their colleagues, build a shared vision, motivate staff, and lead positive change within their institutions.
3. Record Keeping – Strengthening the maintenance and management of accurate school records to support accountability, informed decision-making, monitoring, and planning.
4. Conflict Resolution and Management – Equipping leaders with strategies to address disagreements professionally, manage workplace challenges, and promote harmonious relationships among staff and other stakeholders.
5. Team Building and Teamwork – Promoting collaboration, mutual respect, shared responsibility, and collective efforts towards achieving school goals.
6. Instructional Supervision – Emphasising the importance of monitoring teaching and learning, providing constructive feedback, supporting teacher development, and improving classroom practice and student achievement.
7. Positive Discipline – Encouraging fair, consistent, and constructive approaches to discipline that promote respect, responsibility, safety, and positive behaviour among students.
8. Time Management – Developing the capacity of school leaders to prioritise responsibilities, organise activities, meet deadlines, and make effective use of instructional and administrative time.
9. Attendance and Punctuality – Reinforcing the importance of regular attendance, punctuality, professional conduct, and the effective use of school time by both staff and students.
10. Staff Welfare – Highlighting the responsibility of school leaders to support staff well-being, recognise professional contributions, foster a positive working environment, and promote staff morale.
The sessions were designed to go beyond the formal assumption of new positions by helping participants understand the practical demands of leadership and the standards expected of them as they assume greater responsibility within the education system.
Effective school leadership is central to improving educational outcomes.
Headteachers/principals, deputies, senior masters/mistresses, and heads of department are expected to provide direction, maintain professional standards, support teachers, manage resources responsibly, and ensure that teaching and learning remain at the centre of school operations.
By addressing these 10 areas, NELA seeks to build a stronger cadre of education leaders who are confident in their roles, capable of making sound decisions, committed to accountability, and prepared to work collaboratively with teachers, parents, communities, and education officials.
