Ministry of Education to boost gender and cultural responsiveness with endorsement workshop for SCG Guyana Partnership Compact
Over the next two days, senior officers within the Ministry of Education will be engaged in an Endorsement workshop for the implementation of the System Capacity Grant (SCG) Guyana Partnership Compact.
Guyana was granted the System Capacity Grant from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) which is aimed at strengthening gender-responsive planning and policy development for systemwide impact.
UNESCO was identified as the Grant Agent, with the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) identified as the institution which collaborated with the Ministry of Education to provide extensive technical expertise in education planning and management.
The workshop is being held in the auditorium at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).
Giving an overview, the Ministry’s Chief Planning Officer, Ms Nicola Johnson stated that this will strengthen instructional leadership at district and school levels and promote equitable learning by strengthening culturally responsive and effective instructional leadership and improved accountability at district and school levels.
The Guyana Partnership Programme aims to achieve improved quality, equitable participation, and achievement in basic education for the sustainable development of Guyana with specific attention given to the multicultural diversity of Guyana, with the objective to promote the inclusion of all children.
It identifies key areas for transformation. These include, strengthening the capacities of district and school leaders, in particular through setting-up a leadership academy; revising the recruitment, deployment and promotion modalities of these professionals; developing a public recognition system for high performing and innovative leaders; reviewing the resource allocation mechanisms to districts and schools, with the objective to identify and address inequities and improving the overall coordination and collaboration within the education system, with increased voice from the communities.
In brief remarks, the Chief Education Officer, Mr Saddam Hussain stated that the engagement forms a critical part of the process. He noted that having culturally responsive leaders is a phenomenal concept.
Mr Hussain also highlighted that strengthening the capacity of school leaders will greatly transform the education system.
Also delivering remarks was the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Alfred King. He said that education transformation is necessary as Guyana continues to rapidly develop. He also shared similar sentiments that developing leadership skills at the school level will yield results which will contribute to further development.
The workshop is being facilitated by Program Manager from UNESCO-IIEP, Paris Office Ms Candy Lugaz, Regional Focal Point for this Project and Technical Cooperation Coordinator, from UNESCO-IIEP, Buenos Aires Office, Mr Henry Armas Alvarado and Global Partnership for Education Senior Education Specialist, Talia Miranda de Chaisemartin.
