Licensing of teachers being discussed – CEO Marcel Huston

The licensing of teachers, as recommended by a commission of inquiry into the education system, is currently being discussed with stakeholders.

Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson explained to the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the recommendation is one of several suggested by the CoI last year. It is expected to improve the level of service the educators provide.
Hutson opined that licensing teachers is necessary since the system would guarantee greater discipline and management of educators.
He said, “This will require a complete rethink on how teachers are trained, certified, appraised, managed and disciplined. Every teacher should have an incentive to maintain his or her licence to teach.”
The CoI report further stated that consideration must be given to the system’s renewal on a five-year basis, once “certain criteria for professional development, mental and physical assessment are fulfilled.”
Asked what would happen to those uncertified persons who have been teaching for several years, Hutson said there are programmes currently ongoing to have them upgrade their skills.
President David Granger had thus observed: “Teachers are the foundation on which a good education system is built; and a good education system is the foundation on which any nation is built.”