Minister of Education, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine says Assistant Chief Education Officer (Primary), Marcel Raymond Hutson is most likely to become the new Chief Education Officer (CEO) following the decision not to renew the contract of former CEO, Olato Sam.
“It’s not unlikely we have to make a determination of what needs to be done and whether Mr. Hutson himself feels that he is up to executing these tasks,” the Minister told the Government Information Agency (GINA), yesterday.
GINA said that Hutson has a Trained Class 1 Grade 1 Teacher’s Certificate, Bachelor of Social Science Degree in Sociology, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology, Post Graduate Diploma in Education Administration and Master’s in Education Management Planning and Supervision.
Additionally, he holds a certificate in the Management and Delivery of Education in Guyana via the Ministry of Education’s first Teacher Cadet Scheme, a Certificate in Reforming School Supervision for Quality Improvement through UNESCO and a Certificate of Training in Project Management through the Government of Guyana and Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
Questioned about the reasons for the non-renewal of Sam’s contract, the Minister said that the decision was one aimed at ensuring the proper execution of the Ministry’s policies.
“It’s not a shift in policy; it’s a reinforcement of policy …. It’s just that we want to ensure that the CEO is in fact carrying out policy directions of the ministry. There were some areas where we had complaints from teachers and that kind of thing… they were credible enough for one to question whether or not this is the right person for the job,” Roopnaraine said.
The minister added that the continued presence of the former CEO, at the Ministry of Education, is to allow him the full benefits of leave which would have accumulated over the years, GINA said.
Sam was appointed the CEO in January, 2011 following the retirement of Mrs. Genevieve White-Nedd who acted for more than five years without confirmation.
