Thirty-five School Welfare Officers are now certified to provide psychosocial support to children in schools.
During a ceremony at the Pegasus Hotel on Thursday morning, the Welfare Officers graduated from a European Union (EU)-funded Gender Responsive Programme for Psychosocial Support to Children in Schools.
A release from the Ministry of Education said that this training programme was conducted through the Spotlight Initiative and implemented by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Institute of Gender Studies, University of Guyana.
Education Specialist, Dr Olato Sam, stated that the programme aids in paving the way to ensure students are supported. He noted that the last few years have not only highlighted the need to address the academic development of children but also devise strategies for addressing the physical, mental, emotional and psychosocial dimensions of students.
Dr. Sam deemed the programme timely as it addresses these needs of children.
“Initiatives such as these underscored the importance of a collaborative approach to meeting their educational needs”, he said.
Representative of UNICEF to Guyana, Irfan Akhtar reiterated that it will improve children’s participation in the classrooms.
He said UNICEF remains committed to providing the necessary support to ensure the needs of children are met.
