The Education Ministry on Thursday announced that Quenita Walrond-Lewis has been appointed Director of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), and will take up her post in October.
New NCERD Director Quenita Walrond-Lewis
Walrond-Lewis, an Education Consultant and Project Manager by profession, had previously worked with the Ministry to action development across the three key levels, namely: nursery, primary, and secondary.
“In various previous education leadership capacities, she has worked to build collaborative working relationships with education stakeholders nationally and regionally. In her work in Early Childhood Development (ECD), she has built critical linkages with other governmental and non-governmental ECD stakeholders in Guyana, as well as the regional CARICOM ECD working group. She also liaises with key stakeholders within the Ministry of Education, both centrally and regionally, to inform decisions about the execution of Education initiatives nationwide,” a release from the Ministry stated.
Walrond-Lewis holds a BSc in Psychology and a Masters of Arts in Child Study and Education from the University of Toronto. She has successfully worked with learners from pre-kindergarten to university levels. Before returning to Guyana in 2012, she was a classroom educator in both special education and general education environments, and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto.
She has also worked as a Parent Educator, instilling and sharing best practices in Early Childhood Education, as well as serving as a critical positive link between families, the community, and the school system.
Upon her return to Guyana, she began her local professional career at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), where she worked to reignite the then dormant Nursery Unit of the Curriculum Division of the entity. This unit is now one of the most vibrant areas of the institution.
“Over the past seven years, Walrond-Lewis has developed and co-created classroom-based assessment, monitoring and evaluation tools, and teaching resources to be used at the nursery, primary, and secondary levels by teachers, headteachers, and education officers. She has also provided capacity building experiences for in-service teachers and administrators, as well as education officers, to support their use of pedagogical best practices.”
NCERD is rightly described as the ‘nerve centre’ of the Ministry because it should be the locus of education innovation, research, and tangible solutions for driving positive education outcomes for learners throughout the country. It is from the talented and dedicated educators at NCERD, informed by leading national, regional and international research and practice, that pedagogy and teaching methodologies are evaluated.
The previous Director of NCERD, Jennifer Cumberbatch, a retired head-teacher who occupied the post for eight years, will be shifting into the position of a Quality Assurance Consultant.
She was recruited in 2012 by Education Minister Priya Manickchand, who noted that Cumberbatch has given “sterling service” to the Ministry and people of Guyana.
“She steered the NCERD ship through some rough, rough waters, and kept it steady and made it look easy. This nation owes her a debt of gratitude. We are happy she won’t be leaving us completely. Because we need her expertise still. I trust her and have great confidence in her ability to help us make sure we put out work that is of very high quality,” the Minister added.
