If talks go as planned then the possibility exists that public schools will once again have physical education teachers, according to President of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) Colin Bynoe, speaking at the launching of the National Schools Swimming, Cycling and Athletics Championships.
Bynoe said that over the years the championships had brought about a new awareness not only for the Education Ministry but also the GTU and together they are looking at the reintroduction of senior education officers in physical education.
“Bringing back this will also help to ensure that at the Cyril Potter College of Education you have a strong physical education department to train teachers. At this moment we have the Allied Arts Department.”
According to him there is talk of the Allied Arts Department not having enough persons. “We should have had in our schools, every school, physical education teachers.”
The GTU president said that having a strong Physical Education Programme would reduce the amount of time students have to spend out of classrooms in preparation for the school championships. With Physical Education teachers in schools preparations would have been completed.
“Teachers would easily know how to pick out their students because they would have done certain pre-trial requirements. And all these things about sport injuries can be alleviated if only we have that reintroduced into the system.”
Bynoe said that he has faith that the Ministry of Education will work to strengthen the physical education programme in order to have more persons in the system.
“What we have in many cases is some maths people doing physical education and so on. I mean they have been doing a tremendous job but what we want is to have those departments fully established and functioning so that we can have this thing going all year round.”
At the Allied Arts Department there are specialists but what is needed is the ability to attract more persons with the commitment to work with students throughout the school year in order to have the championships run smoothly.
However, Permanent Secretary Pulandar Kandhi said that the Education Ministry in a formal way has placed sports disciplines and physical education in its strategic plan of events.
He also said that persons who have been trained internationally along with volunteers from friendly nations, namely China, are working beyond the call of duty in all regions.
“We know that we have not arrived at the point to give us the desired satisfaction but I know that right now the intention on the part of the Ministry of Education is to mainstream sporting disciplines and physical education in the delivery of education in our country.”
