National Education Leadership Academy launched to boost teachers’ leadership skills

The Education Ministry has officially launched the National Education Leadership Academy (NELA), a new national initiative aimed at strengthening leadership capacity among teachers and education administrators across Guyana.

The Academy will function as a permanent national training structure embedded within Guyana’s education system, providing ongoing leadership training and professional development for both practicing and aspiring education leaders at the nursery, primary, and secondary levels. NELA will initially train two cohorts of 100 participants each, with the first cohort already selected. The inaugural group includes heads of departments, senior masters and senior mistresses, education officers, aspiring education officers, regional education officers and central ministry staff. Importantly, 20 per cent of the first cohort comes from hinterland regions, specifically Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine, ensuring geographic balance and inclusion in leadership development. The leadership programme will be delivered primarily online, supported by three face-to-face workshops per cohort, and will emphasise a hands-on approach, combining individual and group learning. Speaking at the launch, Minister of Education Sonia Parag said the initiative represents a major pillar of the Government’s education reform agenda and signals a strong commitment to quality education through effective leadership.
Turning to the first cohort of participants, the Minister described their selection as both an honour and a responsibility. “To the members of Cohort 1, I say this to you, your selection is both an honour and a profound responsibility. You have been chosen because you have demonstrated commitment, potential, and the capacity to lead change. You are now called to lead with integrity, to champion inclusion, to use data wisely and to place learners at the centre of every decision. The true success of this institute or this academy will be seen in stronger schools, empowered teachers and students who believe more deeply in their own possibilities. And let me assure you that the Ministry of Education will stand firmly with you and behind this academy. Leadership development is not a one-time initiative. It is a cornerstone of our reform agenda. As we modernise our curriculum, expand digital learning, strengthen monitoring and accountability and improve system efficiency, this academy will remain a key driver of sustainable development,” the Minister said. The Academy is supported by the Global Partnership for Education, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO).
Parag linked the academy’s leadership focus to improving classroom quality and student well-being, noting that while Guyana has made significant investments in school infrastructure, attention must now shift to delivery and safety. “And so, to you who are taking the training, don’t take the training just because there is a certification or there will be an enhancement in your current job description.
But do it because at the end of the day, our children are the most important thing in this country, the most important people in this country. In the next 10 years, they will be the next generation of leaders. And it will be you who will be imparting your leadership skills on them, the impact that you want to create for every child who previously did not have access to school, to an education, or to a safer environment for education,” she said, adding that “while we have built schools, in the next five years, we have to focus on the quality of the delivery in the classroom. We have to focus on putting our efforts and contributing our part in creating a safer environment.”