– hopes to help arrest worrying societal trends“Why would somebody look at another human being in the eye and kill that person? Why would a youngCPCE Principal,NFL Jerseys Cheap Authentic,Ms. Viola Roweman get into a house of an aged woman and rape and then kill her? Why would a mother lock her children up for days without leaving food for those children? And why would we pass each other on the road or in the classrooms without greeting each other?Why do we use words that hurt and not think of healing words? Why can’t we encourage instead of discourage efforts and good intentions?”These were some of the many searching questions that were asked by Principal of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), Ms. Viola Rowe, when she officially launched a pastoral care initiative.Pastoral care refers to a friendship that intentionally seeks to help a person along life’s path. Its focus is to offer emotional and spiritual support.The recent launch of the initiative, which is expected to help reverse worrying trends in the society including a skyrocketing suicide situation, was convened in the Bain Gray Hall of the Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara teachers’ training institution.And according to Rowe, who addressed a gathering of mostly teachers in training and CPCE Faculty members, “It is not by chance we have stumbled upon this initiative. It was well thought out and we believe we have to start somewhere and we have to keep going…”She noted that the College is seeking to embrace the pastoral care initiative with “a deliberate focus on the affective domain of learning. Because we are educators, whatever we do must be tied to our education principles and philosophies, and so for us it is nothing happening in isolation.”She moreover shared her conviction that “the affective domain of learning is all part of what educators are about, those along with the cognitive aspect of development and the psychomotor aspect as well.”But even as Rowe boasted that CPCE has been doing well with regards to the cognitive development of its students, she however confessed that “we still have to work hard on the affective domain.”A section of the gathering at the launch of the pastoral care initiative.It was primarily against this background, she noted, that CPCE with its newly introduced initiative will be seeking to help young people embrace values, skills and attitudes that are needed in today’s society.“It is the pastoral care approach that will support the affective domain of learning against the backdrop of the apparent lack of value by some of our students, particularly for self and others,” said Rowe.And according to her, it has to become necessary to have a consolidated approach to complement the affective attitudes garnered by students through classroom experiences.Rowe noted that the general objective of the initiative is to equip or re-inform in students’ transferrable skills and values which include interpersonal skills such as basic courtesy, communication, decision making, volunteerism, problem solving, conflict resolution and negotiation, respect for self and others, group leadership and followership.“We are also going to be looking at and placing emphasis on personal skills, time management, motivating self, self esteem, self respect, confidence building, anger management, personal health consciousness, personal appearance and deportment, professional and spiritual development,” Rowe shared.But according to her, “We are not going to lose sight of what we are about at this College in terms of the cognitive abilities and development.” The Principal noted that emphasis will simultaneously be directed to improving study skills, peer support, reading and research skills.The ambitious initiative will see the involvement of staff members of the College who are willing to participate in extra-curricular activities in the interest of the all-round development of students. Rowe pointed to the importance of collaboration to realise the needed change but acknowledged too that it isn’t likely that change will occur overnight.“We are not talking about just self change; we are talking about the nation’s children. We have a responsibility to make significant difference out there.Education and educating others is our business; it does not stop with students passing exams in a classroom; it does not stop with students gaining five, 10 , 15, 20 CSEC subjects; its more than the cognitive development,” stressed Rowe.The initiative has already attracted support from Dr. Kenneth Hunte who has written a book that coincidentally speaks to pastoral care titled ‘Towards education for the common good’. Dr. Hunte has also written other publications.The pastoral care book, however, is expected to serve as a guide to the pastoral care initiative at CPCE.Even as he lauded the initiative and reiterated his support, Dr. Hunte said that he had long recognised that all teacher training institutions have a role to play in pastoral care.“I was saying to myself, I wonder if I would live long enough to see it happen. I am happy, really, really happy to know that CPCE has started the ball rolling.”The programme, which is already in motion, has in place a committee and will be coordinated by Mr. Paul Cameron.Although the programme will initially target students at CPCE, it is designed to eventually be filtered down into the wider society.Pic name Principal RoweCaption ic name CPCE gatheringCaption: A section of the gathering at the launch of the pastoral care initiative |
