Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 17, 2009 Letters
Dear Editor,
I wish to express my deep concern over the functioning and managing of the Cyril Potter College of Education. My few years of attachment at that noble institution were the worst in my two scores of teaching experience at both the secondary and university levels.
This is one of the few professionally recognised institutions in the Caribbean with regards to teacher training and professional development. My short stint of attachment as a Science tutor leaves much to be desired.
To begin with, the institution does not have proper laboratory facilities both at the College’s main branch in Turkeyen and as well as the centres across the country. Even though the centres are housed in school compounds, sometimes the school laboratory facilities are inaccessible by the trainee teachers.
For us to train teachers to teach Science, they must be well equipped with the knowledge and understanding of the practical nature that encompasses the subject area. I remember speaking with one of the final year students at Turkeyen last year while I was at university, and he disclosed some startling comments on the college with reference to facility and performance.
My assessment, based on what was told and my own experience, indicates that the college is not fulfilling its mandate to efficiently train teachers to effectively deliver the curriculum to the young minds that are depending on them. Taking this into consideration, I decided to telephone a few of my associates at the institution and its centres.
I know there will be a tremendous amount of denial, but what is mentioned in this letter should be verified by the competent authority.
Students of the college wrote examinations since February 2008 and are still awaiting results of those examinations. This simply means that those students would have written examinations in the first semester in their second year and are now in their final semester in the year and are yet to receive their results.
Well, this is embarrassing for an institution at this level, and moreso an institution that is responsible for training citizens who will in turn train and educate the minds of our future leaders.
There is more in the box to disclose. I will deal with matters relating to performance in another letter. But, at this stage, I am calling for a five-year audit of all examination papers, because there is some semblance that the college is not marking examination scripts and they are giving results close to graduation time.
Concerned Citizen
JAGDEO ADDING MORE DANGER TO GUYANA AND THE REGION
Apr 18, 2024
SportsMax – West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has been named Wisden’s leading Twenty20 Cricketer for 2023, as she topped all and sundry, including her male counterparts. Alan Gardner looks...Kaieteur News – Compliments of the Ministry of Education, our secondary school children are being treated to a stage... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]