(EMU) – St. Kitts, Wednesday, January 13, 2021: Officials from the Ministry of Education joined in a celebration of accomplishment with fifty (50) of its employees, to whom it rendered financial assistance as they advanced their studies in Education at the University of West Indies (UWI).
The UWI Recognition and Virtual Ceremony held 13th January at the Antioch Baptist Church acknowledged the challenging work of the successful graduates who worked
tirelessly to accomplish their academic goals.
While addressing the gathering Minister of Education, Hon. Jonel Powell the importance of continued education. “Whenever nationals and citizens upgrade their qualifications, the benefits extend to the nation where they are, and where they will be utilizing their advanced education. This is why we continue to support the further education of our nationals and the improvement in our human capital.”
The areas of study in the Master of Education program that teachers and educational officials enrolled in, are of priority within the nation’s Education sector as the government seeks to fulfill its commitments to improve education access and promote professional and personal growth.
Graduands who enrolled in the Master of Education Leadership course, were exposed to strategic leadership training skills which better prepared them to articulate the
vision and prepare students to grapple with the changing demands of the 21st
century. Enrollment in this course was timely and ideal as it aligns with the ministry’s program on leadership and accountability as it aims to improve the leadership standards amongst its employees.
Graduands of the Master of Education Language and Literacy Education program ensures that the ministry of education can improve the reading levels of students. This intervention is a direct response to the findings of an OECS assessment on reading levels within the region.
Additionally, the Ministry of Education will have strengthened the capacity of the teaching force to ensure the success of its Reading Recovery Intervention Program that is designed to help low achievers within the school systems, thereby increasing the quality of education for these children.
According to a Ministry official, the Master of Education School Counselling will improve the caliber of teachers who are interested in guidance and counselling. Graduates in this field are expected to benefit the education sector as they will be able to support the designated school counsellors themselves. This can help to alleviate the issue of the limited number of counsellors in the schools.
These courses were offered collaboratively by the Teacher Education Division of CFBC and the UWI Cave Hill campus in Barbados.
