– 60 teachers to receive specialised training
The Education Ministry, in partnership with ExxonMobil Guyana, launched a ground-breaking programme on Monday to equip teachers with STEM education skills.
This initiative, the first of its kind in the Caribbean, aims to revolutionise the delivery of education in Guyana, Education Minister Sonia Parag said during the launching ceremony.
As the first major programme under the Guyana STEM Initiative (GSI), ExxonMobil Guyana’s US$100 million, 10-year commitment to advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education nationwide, STELLAR represents a strategic investment in the country’s future STEM workforce by building educator capacity, strengthening instructional excellence and fostering leadership within the education system.
Beginning in this month, 60 pre-service secondary school educators from across Guyana will undertake specialised training in Mathematics and Science through the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE). Over the two-year programme, participants will develop advanced content knowledge, evidence-based instructional practices, and leadership competencies that will enable them to deliver engaging, high-quality STEM learning experiences in classrooms throughout the country.
The programme begins with participants engaging in intensive week-long training, designed to introduce the STELLAR framework, establish expectations, and build a strong foundation for their academic and professional journey.
Education for the future
Delivering the feature remarks during the launching ceremony, Minister Parag emphasised that this programme will revolutionise education for the country, expressing that “We need to lead in many things, not just oil; we need to lead in education as well.”
She encouraged the beneficiaries to take the initiative seriously, noting that it is not just another programme at CPCE.
“What you are entering is not just basic teaching; it’s not just learning how to be a leader; it’s not just learning how to teach nursery school children, or primary school children, or secondary school children. You are going to learn specific topics through practice and knowledge so that you can deliver that to other students,” she explained.
Minister Parag added that this training will play a crucial role in creating future innovators.
“We should not be importing skills and talent to build our Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge. You should be doing that because all that you’re going to be taught now and all that you will pass on will help our students to strengthen…it will no longer be basic engineering; it will no longer be the basics of anything; everything is going to be an advanced training,” she noted.
Inspiring STEM students
President of the ExxonMobil Foundation, Alvin Abraham, stated that this programme is not only intended to equip teachers with the skills needed to educate students in STEM but also to inspire them.
“Exceptional STEM education begins with exceptional educators. That’s why I’m so excited about the Guyana STELLAR programme. Strengthening STEM education starts with strengthening educators. Through hands-on STEM learning, laboratory experiences, enquiry-based instruction, and classroom practice, teachers will gain the skills needed to engage students in critical thinking, problem-solving, and discovery,” he noted.
“They will be prepared not just to teach STEM but to inspire it,” he added.
US$100M investment
In February, ExxonMobil Guyana announced a US$100 million investment, over the next decade, to strengthen STEM education across the country.
A major component of that investment will also see the establishment of a STEM Centre at the University of Guyana, expected to become a hub for innovation, research, collaboration, and advanced STEM learning. It is targeted for completion around 2028-2029.
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