| An Associate Degree in Education at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) is set to commence from September,Bayern Munich Jerseys, according to Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh.The Minister,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, who was at the time addressing a gathering of trainee students yesterday,Asics Shoes Cheapest Online, disclosed that he has already given the mandate to offer the Programme which will have a two-year duration. He said that all new entrants to the college will be obligated to undertake the programme.“There are challenges ahead but we have to move now and not next year. Students will be allowed to move immediately. Some of them will be allowed to be in schools because we are negotiating with the University of Guyana to shift the timetable so that they will not have to be at the university for the entire day.”The Minister noted that the timing of some courses has been creating problems with the release of teachers and by extension, problems in the classroom. As such,Wholesale Jerseys Authentic, he revealed that he has been in discussion with the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Lawrence Carrington, who has already undertaken to address the situation. This move, Baksh asserted, will entail looking at the timetable to see how it can be changed, allowing for classes to be held around 15:00 hours on weekdays,Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale, on Saturdays and during the vacation periods.“This will enable the teacher trainees when they would have completed here (CPCE) to move right into the University of Guyana, so that in four years time they can get a degree in education.”And this approach will be especially beneficial, Baksh pointed out, as “it takes seven long years to get a degree from the University of Guyana. And apart from that, many of you have to wait a bit, because you cannot be released because there is a quota system…”The quota system,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, according to the Minister, could see some students waiting some two to five years before they could be released to pursue courses at the university. This he regarded as unfair, adding that there is an urgent need for the local operation to “catch-up” with the Caribbean.He explained that since the percentage of graduates in the education system is low, efforts must be geared at increasing the pace at which teachers are qualified. And the number of trained teachers has been increasing over the years as the Ministry is working with clear targets, the Minister disclosed.“Over the last five years, we have trained just under 5,Cheap Authentic Jerseys,000 teachers… in the five years commencing from 2009 we have to train 5,000 teachers plus an additional 2,000 teachers having taken into account an attrition rate of about eight percent of teachers every year. So you can see the challenges facing us.”It is for this reason, the Minister said, that the use of technology will have to be aptly utilised. He made reference to the Distance Mode Approach to teacher education and training which is currently being utilised by the University of the West Indies and other Caricom countries. And efforts are also being made to ensure that one year after graduating with an Associate Degree in Education, teachers spend one year undertaking well supervised practical sessions backed by a strong mentoring programme that will be place, the Minister added.“What is happening now is that too many of our teachers in the school system are left on their own…They need professional support and I am not satisfied with the kind of supervision they are receiving so we will strengthen the supervision of the teachers in the system. It will cost us more but so be it; you can’t put a price on that. So we will have to put a mentor in each school to offer this professional support as the teachers move through, so that at the end of the year, teachers will be well rounded and grounded.”This is essential, he said, to ensure that quality education is being delivered so that there can be an improved learning outcome at all levels of the education system. |
