Teachers urged to pursue part-time study

Minister of Education, Reverend Ronald Thwaites, is encouraging teachers whose study leave was not approved for the upcoming academic year, to engage in programmes of study related to their area of teaching, through distant learning or part-time study.

"The University of the West Indies is willing to extend their offerings virtually, and bring their personnel also to the teacher training colleges, in the course of making these far more multi-disciplinary institutions and far more amenable to the needs of teachers," he said.

Rev Thwaites was speaking at a half-yearly governance and leadership forum, held at the Overseas Examinations Commission, Picadilly Road, in Kingston, last Thursday.

The Minister noted that for the 2013/14 academic year, the Ministry of Education approved 143 applications of 560 for full-time study leave.

These, he said, are in subjects that are related to the teachers' area of engagement in education, and are in circumstances where it would not be possible for the teachers to remain in the classroom and to carry out their studies.

"Teachers who may need extraordinary leave to go abroad and study; for example there is a programme at Temple University, where two of our teachers want to go that offers specific training in inner-city school management. We want to get those abroad, because we know that is something we need," Rev Thwaites said.