CPCE marks 75th year with big celebrations
Guyana Chronicle
August 17, 2003
THE Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) has planned several activities this week to celebrate its 75th anniversary.
The high point of the celebration will be from today to Friday, when past students residing in Guyana and in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean and elsewhere, will gather to mark the historic occasion.
“Undoubtedly, our Alma Mater has made a tremendous contribution to the development of teacher education, and education generally, in Guyana and we should all recall with pride how our lives were touched and numerous friendships made,” CPCE said in a statement.
The theme of the celebration is ‘Commemorating the Past, Capitalising on the Present and Enhancing the Future’.
Some of the activities planned include an Inter-faith Thanksgiving service at 16:00 hours this afternoon at the Bain Gray Hall, CPCE, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara; a cocktail reception hosted by Education Minister, Dr. Henry Jeffrey at the CPCE Convention Centre at 19:00 hours tomorrow; tours to a resort on the Essequibo River, either Shanklands (US$55) or Baganara (US$45) on Tuesday; panel discussion, business session and talent show on Wednesday; fun day at Spashmin’s Fun Park on Thursday and a Bar-be-cue and Dance at the Banks DIH Sports Club, Thirst Park on Friday.
A MAJOR upcoming achievement by the College will be the establishment of three teacher’s training centres in Region One (Barima/Waini) in October.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) said due to geographical conveniences, the centres will be established within three sub-regions - Santa Rosa, Moruca and Port Kaituma.
Hinterland teachers who are qualified to enter the college will be able to access a distant education Early Childhood and Primary Teacher Training programme. This is equivalent to that offered at the Turkeyen Campus and the five CPCE in-service centres on the coastland.
Funding for the establishment of these centres will be provided initially by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through the Guyana Basic Education Teacher Training Programme (GBET).
In order to ensure regional ownership, two workshops were held on August 04 and 08 in Mabaruma.
The Regional Administrative Office, in collaboration with CPCE and GEBT, hosted these workshops. Among the invitees were the members of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), representatives from all the sub-regions, village captains, teacher trainees and tutors from the GBET Foundation programme, head teachers and members of the business community.
Stakeholders from the region contributed to the design of the delivery model and the blueprint for the curriculum. Requests were made for the curriculum to include issues that are relevant to the hinterland communities.
Amerindian studies, conservation of the environment, the teaching of English as a second language, indigenous art and craft and the impact of logging and mining on the hinterland communities were some of the topics the stakeholders requested to be a part of the curriculum.
The workshops were facilitated by Dr. Zelleynne Jennings-Craig, a Professor in Education at the University of the West Indies and Dr. Christe Cabral, an Anthropologist, who has tremendous experience with adult learning among indigenous people.
Principal of CPCE, Mrs. Cheryl Foster, and the Director of GBET Project, Ms. Susan Sproule, commended the regional stakeholders for their contributions at the workshop and their interest in the designing stage of the curriculum and delivery model.
Regional Chairman, Norman Whittaker thanked CPCE and GBET for making teacher training accessible to untrained but qualified teachers in the region.
He also noted that the initiative shown would have an impact on the social and economic development of the region.
