School of Nations hosts caribbean educational leadership conference

– aims at developing Guyana’s education sector

Several educators from various countries on Thursday converged at the School of Nations for a Caribbean conference and workshop focused on education leadership.
The two-day event, which is in collaboration with the Education Ministry and the British High Commission, is an initiative which will result in introduction of the Cambridge Certificate in Educational Leadership, which the institution has been approved to offer by the Education Ministry.
Director of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), Jennifer Cumberbatch, who shared remarks on behalf of Education Minister

Nicolette Henry, noted that Guyana had a history of producing inspirational educators, but this has vanished over the past few years.
“It is vital to remember our history, the fact that we were at the top of our field in education and across the Caribbean region. We’ve had an education system that was diverse in its reach and scope. The recipients of this lost legacy have become leaders themselves, here in Guyana and in the diaspora, across a wide spectrum of professions,” she added.
Additionally, from the panel of key speakers, a representative of the Limited Resources Teachers Training (LRTT), Emily Fennigan, gave an insight on the projects that will, in the coming months, be conducted to improve Guyana’s education sector from a teaching perspective. The LRTT has been working in Guyana for the past three years in various areas of developmental studies.
“We believe that teacher quality is really the key to ensuring that every child has a rich education and experience. So many teachers and Guyana included don’t have access to quality training, or they’re looking for more support in that area,” she stated.
In light of this issue, partnerships were developed between the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK) and Australia, where teachers from these countries would visit the local communities to assist, observe, and also learn from the local educators. For five weeks, teachers’ training conferences are then organised to address various issues being faced by the teachers.
Fennigan also added that there are plans to introduce this programme in other countries of the world, such as Gambia and Afghanistan. During the two-day exercise, educators from various countries are expected to share their experiences with various institutions and communities that they have served. Director of Nations, Dr Brian 0’Toole, also took the opportunity to launch his new book, titled “Educational Leadership”, which outlines 40 years of experience in working on developmental projects in Guyana, which he has accumulated during his stay here.