-Principal vows to get Mathematics performance ‘right’
President David Granger, today, handed over $1million to the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) for emphasis to be placed on the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, even as the Principal of the College vowed to ensure that the approaches to these subjects are reviewed in the new year to ensure maximum results.
The President presented the cheque to the Principal Viola Rowe, following his address to the graduating class of 2016 at college’s 82nd graduation ceremony at the National Cultural Centre (NCC), earlier today.
The Head of State said that as Guyana advances its ‘green’ agenda that teachers must be able to train a generation of professionals, who are able to develop the nation’s resources and take advantage of opportunities that will become available.
“Guyana is on the way to establishing a ‘green’ state; one that emphasises the protection of our environment, the preservation of our biodiversity, the provision of eco-tourism and eco-educational services and the promotion of practical measures to ensure climate adaptation. Teachers must understand this… The response to these global challenges requires scientific solutions, which provide the present generation of students with an opportunity to be part of the process of finding solutions to these challenges, promote solutions to national concerns and help us to navigate through an increasingly interdependent and technologically well-informed global environment and prepare students for the technological changes that will open opportunities for school-leavers to participate in a competitive economy,” President Granger said.
Noting that science is about energy-generation, solid-waste management and creating ‘green’ schools, compounds and communities, the President said that investment in these areas of education will create an efficient education system, which can train the future builders of the country.
“It takes an efficient education system to: train the architects, contractors and construction workers to build our houses; computer scientists to enhance our knowledge and expedite our transactions; and medical doctors and technologists to protect us from epidemic disease or to cure our everyday disorder; train thousands of persons in manufacturing to fabricate machines to process foods and make utensils; miners to produce bauxite, diamonds, gold and manganese; train young people, to encourage them to be inventive and innovative and to provide them with the opportunities to develop practical solutions to the physical challenges we face; and train a generation of teachers to produce new textbooks to support the new teaching and to devise new techniques to transform our lives,” he said.
In this regard, the Head of State said that teachers must be more than mere tutors. Instead, they must be agents of socialisation; implanting knowledge, inculcating values and infusing the right attitude in them.
Meanwhile, Principal of the CPCE, Ms. Viola Rowe, in her remarks, said that the College will be embarking on an evaluation of its approach to the subjects particularly Mathematics and will be working closely with the Ministry of Education, to ensure that all weaknesses are addressed so that better results can be recorded in 2017.
The Best Graduating Student this year, Ms. Hirannie Persaud, received the President’s prize inclusive of the Plaque of Excellence, Certificate of Excellence and a voucher. Over 400 teachers graduated with Associate Degrees and Trained Teacher’s Certificate in several programmes including Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary Academic, Secondary Pre- Vocational and Technical Instruction. (Story and photos from GINA)
