The Ministry of Education (MoE) is collaborating with the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the ProFuturo Foundation to provide all teachers with the necessary training needed for them to deliver online learning as the education system grapples with the closure of schools due to COVID-19 concerns.
In a release yesterday, the MoE assured that it takes capacity building seriously particularly as it concerns teacher training and that teachers must always be equipped to deliver quality education to students. This, it says, is especially relevant at this time as over the last six months, students were forced to remain safe at home as Guyana and the rest of the world tackles the pandemic created by COVID-19.
“Distance learning has never been more relevant and necessary. For many it is a learning experience which highlights the need to develop systems and to train our educators to perform their duties despite the challenges,” the release noted.
To this end, the MoE announced that it has partnered with the OAS and the ProFuturo Foundation to have all teachers in Guyana provided with foundational concepts and understanding on the role of innovation and Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the delivery of education.
ProFuturo is an education programme launched in 2016 by Telefónica Foundation and “La Caixa” Foundation, and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Its mission is to narrow the education gap in the world by improving the quality of education of boys and girls throughout 38 countries of Latin America.
The ProFuturo teacher training is intended to rapidly bring teachers up-to-speed with knowledge and skills to allow them to begin delivering learning online, based on sound principles. The training is broken down into two tracks; Innovation and ICT, with each track consisting of modules across four levels, basic, intermediate, advanced and professional. The total recommended duration for all modules is 100 hours. Training will be delivered on the ProFuturo platform with coaches assigned to groups of 20 teachers to provide support during the learning journey. Teachers can be registered by visiting the link: www.education.gov.gy/retoolingteachers. The Ministry of Education says it will also be reaching teachers through official channels.
The training is designed to increase awareness of methodologies, tools and basic skills needed for the online delivery of education. It will address distance learning during COVID-19 and enable teachers to engage in online, hybrid and blended approaches post COVID-19. The programme will be conducted on the ProFuturo online platform. To ensure all teachers receive free access to the ProFuturo platform, GTT and Digicel Guyana have agreed to zero-rate access to all the relevant text related material required for completing the training modules on the platform.
This means that any teacher that goes on the ProFuturo platform will not have to use their personal data or internet services for the relevant text-based material and therefore would not need a data plan. However, supplementary YouTube videos which are not absolutely necessary for completing the training modules will incur data charges.
Upon completion of the course, each teacher will receive certification that will be recognized by the Ministry of Education. “We encourage all of our teachers to take this training opportunity and be better equipped to continue educating the nation’s children during this period and beyond,” the release was quoted as saying.
