– Region 8’s Gideon Lewis set to teach the next generation
Gideon Lewis
From the remote hills of Region Eight to the classrooms of tomorrow, Gideon Lewis is proving that passion for education knows no boundaries.
As he nears graduation from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), the young teacher-in-training represents a new wave of hinterland youth stepping forward to inspire and educate the next generation of Guyanese.
Lewis recently spoke with this publication during the college’s Open Day event, where he shared insights into his journey and aspirations as a future educator.
When asked how it feels to be a soon-to-be graduate of the CPCE, he reflected on the dedication and effort it took to get to this point.
“Well, for me, it’s a pleasure and an honour to be graduating soon. After all the hard work and staying committed over these two years, it’s been… interesting, and I feel like I’ve learned a lot during this time,” said Lewis, who is training to teach in the primary education sector.
He went on to explain the scope of training in his area of focus, highlighting that primary teaching goes beyond just academic instruction.
“In the primary sector, we introduce everything. We introduce sports, music—as you can see—and a lot of other things, including the main subjects. This is what we teach in the primary sector,” he explained.
When asked if he would encourage other young people to enter the teaching profession, Lewis responded with strong encouragement.
“Yes, I would encourage young people to join teaching because it’s very important. You learn a lot—not only about teaching—but about society, about children, about parents. We have to be involved with all of those people. So, it’s really interesting, and I would like to encourage young people to join the primary teaching level.”
Looking ahead, Lewis has ambitious goals for himself and his career in education.
“In the next 10 years, I see myself going even further. My goal is to attend university so I can continue learning about teaching. I want to be more involved in the education sector and eventually graduate from university as well.”
As scores of young and upcoming educators gathered on Thursday at the CPCE for its Open Day, Oma Ramdin, Director of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), speaking on behalf of Education Minister Priya Manickchand, urged prospective teachers enrolling in the college’s programme to consider careers in the hinterland.
Noting that more schools are being built in those far-flung communities to serve children living there, Ramdin said the demand for teaching staff in those areas would dramatically increase over the next few years.
As such, in order to encourage more educators to relocate to hinterland communities, the Ministry of Education has developed a three-point promotional strategy which supports and rewards teachers who work in those regions for a minimum of four years.
