Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Kay McConney, sees the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Erdiston Teachers’ Training College (ETTC) and Columbia University (CU) as being part of government’s strategic step in education transformation.
Ms. McConney, who was speaking during the signing ceremony last Friday, at Ilaro Court, stated: “This powerful platform of cooperation between us, reflects the intention of our Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training … to be able to understand that this is an immense responsibility of building our people and putting the skills in place.
“We see our teachers, we see our educators, as driving forces in our education system, and if we want our children to learn well, we have to have teachers who can facilitate that learning. Without teachers, learning doesn’t happen at the optimal level…. Their continuous professional development and opportunities for them to grow must be a part of the way we do education in this country.”
She commended Prime Minister Mottley for being a champion for education. “Our Prime Minister has been a champion for education, seven years as a Minister of Education. She understands the sector; she understands people and she has been one of the people trying to push this very partnership, not only with Columbia University but with other first-class, world-class universities around the world. And our first thank you is to her because without leadership, the work we have to do in education transformation will not happen.”
Minister McConney added: “When it comes to teaching education and our responsibility for teacher education, we have recognised as a country that we cannot do it alone. It cannot be the government alone. It cannot be the teachers alone pushing their own professional development. We need to reach out regionally, locally, across the world and bring in the partners where the best of the best is, to be able to partner with us to help us build our capacity to do the best for our children.”
Chief Education Officer, Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, in her remarks, expressed that the MOU signalled a groundbreaking partnership between the ETTC and CU.
“This partnership is designed to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation in teaching and leadership within Barbadian schools by leveraging the expertise and resources of both institutions, to equip leaders and teachers with the knowledge, attitudes and skills that are required to meet the needs of students within our country.”
She continued: “This partnership also brings us one step closer to realising one of the pillars of education transformation, that which speaks to improving school leadership and teacher effectiveness. There is no doubt that principals and teachers play crucial roles in the development of positive school cultures that are pivotal for student success.”
Dr. Archer-Bradshaw expressed the hope that all leaders and teachers who access the programmes offered will utilise the tools given, not only to improve leadership and teaching practices but to be champions of equity and inclusion within and across their classrooms.
She further noted: “We want to see our students thinking critically, demonstrating social and emotional intelligence, [and] developing skills. We want to see our students hungry for learning, working cooperatively and communicating effectively with the knowledge that they can express themselves respectfully, despite their differences and be heard by their teachers and their principals. It is against this backdrop that the Ministry is proud to be associated with this partnership and will do its best to continue to facilitate this one and the others to come.”