One hundred and twenty-two (122) new teachers were inducted into the teaching profession on Friday 24th August, 2018 in a ceremony held at the Government Campus Plaza, Port of Spain, as part of the Ministry of Education’s Teacher Training Initiative.
Addressing the sixty-two (62) secondary and sixty (60) primary school teachers, the Honourable Anthony Garcia, Minister of Education emphasised the critical role teachers play in national development. “As a country, we are now evolving our education sector with a shift in focus towards ensuring that all students are literate and numerate when they leave school but also using technology to be able to achieve this. The Ministry of Education has been training our teachers to be able to include ICTs into their lessons and you all will be a part of this training as well.”
Minister Garcia also used the opportunity to implore the new teachers to work with their principals and fellow teachers to ensure that the students under their care are receiving the best possible education.
“We understand that all students learn differently and it is up to you to tailor your lessons in such a way that you will reach all students. We, at the Ministry, have committed to providing an education that is accessible, equitable and of good quality and this commitment is now extended to you. For far too long we have had students complete the SEA and be unable to properly read, write or count.”
Also addressing the new cohort of teachers, Chief Education Officer, Harrilal Seecharan advised the group of primary and secondary teachers not to be judgemental and treat every child as an individual in the classroom. He stressed that this could be as a result of various social and domestic circumstances which prevent them from being able to obtain a consistent level of education.
The new batch of teachers will benefit from training over the next week in areas such as Classroom Management, Professional Accountability, Planning for Professional Development, School Based Management, Rights and Responsibilities of Teachers, Pedagogy and Methodology Instruments, among other areas.