Press Release – More than half of Guyana’s teacher population undergoing Innovation and ICT training to deliver online teaching

More than half of the nation’s teachers have already registered for the ProFuturo Online training programme. Since the official launch of the programme on September 15, some 5,889 teachers have signed up to benefit from training that will provide an understanding of the role that the two areas of Innovation and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) play in the delivery of education.

This training has been made possible through a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the ProFuturo Foundation.

Teachers will be required to complete training in the two areas of Innovation and ICT at four levels; basic, medium, advanced and professional. Presently, in the area of Innovation, 766 teachers have completed the basic training; 439 have completed medium level training; 300 teachers have completed the advanced level while 305 teachers have completed the professional level training.

Meanwhile, regarding the ICT training, 491 teachers have completed basic training while 309, 251 and 330 teachers have completed the medium, advanced and professional level training respectively.

It is mandatory for all teachers to undergo this training so that they can be better aware of the methodologies, tools and basic skills to be used in online delivery of education. This focus will address the issue of distance learning, especially during the current COVID-19 context. This knowledge will also be relevant post-COVID-19 since the use of online platforms will be incorporated in the general structure for education delivery in Guyana.

Training is currently being delivered online on the ProFuturo platform with coaches assigned to 20 teachers to provide support during the learning and engagement process.

To ensure all teachers receive free access to the ProFuturo platform, the 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 data or internet services for the relevant text-based material. They would not need a data plan. However, supplementary YouTube videos which are not absolutely necessary for completing the training modules will incur data charges.

Teachers that have no access to devices, particularly in the hinterland communities will be provided with the printed modules so that they can still undergo the training while engaging their coaches.

Though there is no deadline for registration or completion of the training, the Ministry of Education is urging all teachers who have registered and those who have yet to register to do so and complete the training at the earliest possible time so that together, we can take the education sector to new heights.

Teachers can register for the training now by visiting: education.gov.gy/retoolingteachers