Guyana is moving to raise the quality of post-secondary and tertiary education through the establishment of the Guyana Core Group of the Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education (CANQATE).
CANQATE was established in 2004 as a sub-network of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education, with the aim of enabling members to share information about the maintenance, evaluation, accreditation and improvement of higher education and to disseminate good practices in the field of quality assurance.
The National Accreditation Council of Guyana started work in 2004 in the field of quality assurance but the Guyana Core Group is a voluntary body of professionals that aims to lift the standard of education services that are offered nationally.
On Tuesday, the Group adopted its constitution at an all-day workshop and it is in the process of finalising its membership.
There was input by many organisations in the year-long process that led to the establishment of the Group, including consultations with over 125 local organisations, with some based as far as Berbice, Linden and Essequibo.
After the workshop, Vincent Alexander was elected as the Country Coordinator for the Group. Executive Director of CANQATE Michael Bradshaw, who was present at the installation of the seven-member executive of the Core Group, told Alexander that he needs to “be the glue of the executive.” He also said in light of free movement of people within the region, there needs to be work done in the comparability in the education system.
Director of Accredita-tion and Quality Enhance-ment of CANQATE Curtis Floyd told the members of the new executive that they are an extension of CANQATE and are tasked in developing a culture of quality in the institution and supporting the National Accreditation Council. He also said the election for new members to the board of CANQATE will be done at the 12th Annual CANQATE Con-ference, held in St Kitts from October 7 to October 9 and he looks forward to a delegation from Guyana and would like to see representation from Guyana on the new executive board.
Meanwhile, Alexander told Stabroek News that the main work on the agenda is to share changes in quality assurance in post-secondary and tertiary institutions.
However, he said the concept reaches beyond the academics. “Quality assurance is in every aspect of the institution. Curriculum, facilities, the welfare and every aspect that impacts on the person to whom you deliver the service and the quality of service delivered,” he added.
He said the National Accreditation Council is still the body that will register institutions and based on the assessed standard of the institution it would then be determined how many years of accreditation the said institution would be awarded.
He said anyone who is a practitioner, an enthusiast or a member of an organisation that deals with quality assurance is welcome to join the Core Group.
CANQATE works to promote capacity building among 135 member countries and institutions of higher education and to facilitate regional discourses on policy and research in the fields of quality assurance and quality enhancement, while engaging policy makers, researchers, evaluators, administrators and faculty in professional development.
