| Teachers must give full support to the literacy programmes offered at both the Primary and Secondary Levels of public institutions. This appeal was made by Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, when he addressed a gathering of senior educators recently. According to the Minister, there is now a specially designed curriculum offered for those students undertaking the six-year programme at the Secondary Level, which is geared at ensuring that after one year they are able to read, write and comprehend. “I would be satisfied if at the end of that period, that the results show that 90 percent have reached a certain standard of literacy.”And this is essential, the Minister said, in order to combat the massive dropout rate that has been detected at the Secondary Level. He highlighted that it is required of educators to put a halt to the current dropout rate,Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale, thereby allowing more students to complete the secondary cycle of education.Many schools across the country are now offering a six-year programme which comes as part of the Education Ministry’s key development efforts in the Secondary Sector. This move, which was introduced this year,http://www.theworldsoccersshop.com/Belgium-Christian-Kabasele-Jersey.html, has also included the strengthening of the office of the Assistant Chief Education Officer (Secondary) to ensure that the programme is well implemented. The implementation of the programme,Cheap NFL Jerseys Stitched, the Minister said, is very essential in recognition of the fact that there are evident weaknesses at the Primary Level of education. “You all know what has been happening and we have a lot of actions and interventions in place to strengthen the Primary School system in the area of literacy and numeracy in particular.”According to the Minister, initiatives are in place to the extent that a National LiteracyUnit has been setup and is fully staffed with literacy specialists. Each region, he said, has already been furnished with specialists as the aim of the Ministry is to have nothing less than success in the literacy programme in Primary Schools.“We have a lot of work to do to get all the teachers on board. Many teachers are not on board, due, perhaps, to the fact that they do not understand the methodology or some of them may not be committed to the programme.” However, the Minister noted that there will be more effective supervision through the Ministry’s Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, which is staffed with persons who are expected to be very active this year by visiting the regions and ensuring the Regional Education Departments supervise the school system.But even as efforts are being made to ensure that students are properly educated, Baksh disclosed that improved training for teachers is just as high on the agenda. This he said is among the five core areas for the sector which will be emphasised this year. “We have already doubled the enrolment at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE). We are moving in that direction because we have targets to reach,Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic,” the Minister noted.Additionally, he said that plans are apace to employ more of the distance mode approach for training teachers at the Secondary Level. He further noted that a reform agenda has been put in place for teacher education and training, which has been drawing some financial support from the World Bank.With these plans already streamlined,Jerseys NFL China, Baksh is optimistic that there will be changes at CPCE, which will entail greater collaboration with the University of Guyana so that trained teachers can improve their qualifications.Included in the core areas to be addressed through the education strategic plan is the use of Information Technology (IT). And this year,Wholesale Jerseys Online, the Minister said that Government is committed to preparing IT laboratories in all Secondary Schools countrywide. “We have a five-year plan but the government is treating Information Communication Technology (ICT) with great priority and importance and therefore they are committing resources in the 2010 budget so that all Secondary Schools can have an IT laboratory.”While it may not come to fruition this year, the Minister assured that all of the laboratories will eventually be fully equipped and will include Air conditioning units. Training of over 600 teachers to facilitate IT sessions has already commenced, he added,Jerseys NFL China, even as he disclosed that training will continue, in this regard, at various levels. |
