Strengthen the Teacher Preparation Programs in T&T
Ministry of Education Priority List
Educators in Trinidad & Tobago today have opportunities and
challenges that are unparalleled.
An Examination of the teaching methods and techniques of
instruction in schools are essential.
The Ministry of Educations’ priority list claims to:
“Ensure that the education and training of
our teachers is adequate to meet the challenges that face our young people,
including penetration of foreign cultures, technological devices and social
media.”
There is no doubt that each generation of teachers has made this
claim, to bolster their professional skills.
However, A number of factors indicated that the present and
immediate future are among the most significant and critical times ever faced
by T&T’s teaching profession.
The Ministry of Education prioritize list
also claims that it is their objective to
“Provide
clear prospects for advancement by all teachers in their career and
profession.”
The aforementioned impression solidifies
the fact that more than at any time in our history, the climate for educational
research, reform and experimentation is highly desirous.
The Ministry projects a priority to
“Develop
and encourage a culture of research and development in all tertiary level
institutions, both public and private.”
Quality of Education
The quality of Education is of special interest to all nationals
at home and abroad.
If it is properly bolstered and accentuated, this curiosity
can bring substantial support and satisfaction to everyone.
The public at large generally accepts as normal the Ministry of
Education’s autonomy on efforts to try new ideas.
Those in the academic persuasions and in the profession at large
usually demonstrate renewed interest in the Primary and Secondary schools
curriculums. The Ministry’s effort here is to:
“Ensure that our school curriculum and
teaching methods are relevant and continuously updated and lead to innovation,
entrepreneurship and wealth creation.”
Development of Quality of Education
Be this as it may, teachers are predisposed to support any
development of new and more tolerable programs, instead of the existing ones.
Potential resources for upgrading the quality of instruction are
enormous.
The Ministry proposes to
“Ensure that our system of education at
the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, prepares our young people for the
challenging world of science and technology.”
The reality before us is that, we live in a historical landscape
marked by technological advancements.
This pushes the capabilities of man beyond his identifiable
imagination.
The Ministry’s compass is set to:
“Ensure that our system of education at
the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, prepares our young people for the
challenging world of science and technology.”
Unfortunately, the comprehensive technological advancements have
not been comparably absorbed or matched by the educational teaching techniques
and methods in the teacher training program in T&T.
The Ministry’s ambition is to -
“Ensure that all students in all schools
have free and easy access to fast Broadband Internet in all schools (not just
laptops).”
With over 18,000 Primary School Students taking the SEA annually,
this systemic input has a major impact upon schools.
It has created a situation which has quantitative and
qualitative implications for teachers. It provides deathtraps and
benedictions at the same time.
Whether the great numbers of students will become more a risk or
more a consecration will depend on how adequately teachers develop adaptability
in themselves and their profession.
Correspondingly educators face external pressure; while internal
insurrection is happening in the curriculum.
The Mobilization of the artistic community to take a leadership
role in cultural diversification and cultural education may redirect and defuse
teacher anxieties.
Vitalize the Stadia of Teaching
Teachers in all subject areas need to modify their interpretations
about their disciplines more abruptly and hastily than before.
This element symbolizes a tremendous challenge, but it can also be
part of a greater opportunity to strengthen, enrich, and vitalize the stadia of
teaching.
The Ministry must now
“Foster, develop and encourage best
practices in the administration of the educational system.”
Although the battle for quantity education has not been entirely
met, the primary demand today is for improvement in the quality of education at
the end of the day, the MINISTRY is urged to
“Equip all schools to benefit from
technological innovations.”
“Ensure that all students in all schools
have free and easy access to fast Broadband Internet in all schools (not just
2006 laptops).”
With a School system trying to educate over 600,000 students daily
calls for a practical and structural commitment for active reform.
This requires a search for an examination of the teaching methods
and techniques of instruction to strengthen the teacher preparation programs in
T&T.
Adapt to New Procedures
Teachers have been slow to adapt to new procedures, sometimes
because of the political landscape, personal reluctance and insecurity fostered
by a lack of appropriate training, preparation and resources and employment
contracts.
Just as most teachers have been stifled by the T&T system of
traditional regimentation of classroom operatives, so too the student has been
handicapped.
No longer should students be restricted to learning what is
possible within the limits of the ability and knowledge of the teacher. This
repetitious behavior should be discouraged.
Teachers have too long controlled and inhibited the extent of
students’ progress.
Such a situation is incomprehensible, for it has been considered
an adversarial reflection on the teacher, if a student’s brilliance exceeded
him in any respect.
Learn to Assess and Accept
However, the teacher should accept more readily the role of
facilitator of learning.
In this capacity, the teacher provides the ways and means, and
hopefully the reasons, but definitely not the boundaries of his students’
goals.
Once teachers and learners abandon the idea that the limits of
learning are personified by the teacher, a more fruitful relationship and
learning situation can co-mingle.
T&T Teachers must learn to assess and accept new programs more
rapidly.
“Start
by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing
the impossible. “(Francis of Assisi)
There is no justification for the longtime lag between the
discovery of new methods and materials and their application throughout the
profession.
There is a real need to initiate research techniques as a relevant
tool in T&T schools.
Teacher involvement in solving critical glitches in education can
be one of the motivating factors for the horizon of the critical thinking
landscape of teaching methods in T&T.
Actual participation in research hastens the discovery of answers.
But more importantly, it drastically reduces the time required to put these
answers to productive educational consumption.
However, this in no way replaces the laboratory and technical
studies, which must continue; but it can bridge the gap between the science of
education and the artistry of the prepared teacher.
Consider the prevailing landscape where access to varied methods
and aids is easily available through the internet.
Consider the parallel situation where some schools are not capable
of accessing the net.
The laptop fiasco as perpetrated by previous administrations was doomed to failure from inception
as no provision was made to integrate the laptop into the main stream of the
learning/teaching environment of schools as they are presently configured.
There is a dire need for teachers to be able to utilize technology
in the classroom of the teaching/learning progression.
Each school should be outfitted with properly functioning computer
labs and individual classrooms with internet access: Guided by a competent
facilitator.
Dr Cliff Bertrand
Former NYC Board of Education Administrator
