Ministry aiming to have all teachers trained, licensed - Manickchand

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand has said that as of this year, her ministry is looking to have all teachers across the country trained.

According to the minister, the number of trained teachers at any level has never surpassed 80 per cent. She told a recent press conference that over the last 15 years there has only been an average of 70 per cent to 79 per cent of trained teachers at any given time while explaining that teachers are constantly reaching the age of retirement, have passed away, or changed careers before being fully trained. However, the Education Ministry hopes to have all teachers meet the 100 per cent mark.

Manickchand explained that the teachers in the classrooms have to be licensed as it is one of the most important professions. “They have to get trained or find another career,” she warned, adding that an expansion of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) will be seen in 2022. The college has seen some 2,500 teachers enroll for training following its move to online platforms in 2020. She noted that this will be the highest number of trained teachers graduating in a single year compared to the previous number of 535. The minister noted that there are many untrained teachers who are excellent in the classroom but contended that they have a better chance if they were certified.

The minister pointed out that there are systems in place to ensure that teachers have access to becoming certified. As an example, she said that in the hinterland areas, the teachers have started opting for the two-year Associate Degree programme instead of the four-year teacher certificate programme. Previously, she said, teachers had the Trained Teacher Certificate Programme and two years of education at the University of Guyana, however, teachers have to be able to attend the university to get this further education. Therefore, her ministry is collaborating with UG to make the necessary changes to ensure that teachers who have completed the two-year Associate Degree can now move on to complete the two final years that would ensure they secure a degree.