Georgetown: In light of the many achievements in the access to education and teacher training in the Hinterland, the Ministry recognises that more emphasis needs to be placed on the quality of education delivered in the Hinterland as a whole with specific attention being paid to learning outcomes. As such, the Hinterland Education Improvement Programme (HEIP) was formulated to determine the gaps that exist in providing quality education and good learning outcomes.
The Ministry of Education is currently in the conceptualisation and preparation phase, which sees the involvement of all schools across level, in the Hinterland and Riverain communities. The MoE is of the view that consulting with the key stakeholders at all levels is an important and integral step in the planning process of this programme. As such, the Ministry commenced a number of consultations with a grand launch of the HEIP in Lethem on Monday, June 9, 2014
In Lethem, villagers generally welcomed the Hinterland Education Improvement Programme noting their appreciation that HEIP will provide the necessary resources for teachers they require to be more effective in the class room. In addition, that teacher capacity will improve through the training programmes they will be exposed to.
Residents also used the opportunity to communicate some concerns about the provision and delivery of education there, which included the need to design and implement parental education, which can be done through home visits and public meetings. Another concern was that the Learning Channel is not accessible in St. Ignatius but only in Lethem. Other issues raised included the need for more materials to support teachers training programme, additional space is needed at various schools to accommodate the growing population, the need for adequate electricity to be able effectively implement the IRI Programme, and that teachers do not utilise materials in the way it was intended. Residents expressed concern about the current curricula not catering for the local context. For example, in social studies, cattle rearing was one of the main economic activity of this region, it is not the case today. Gold mining is the main economic activity.
In addition to this, residents also made a list of recommendations to the Ministry, ones that they perceive would be of more benefit to them and their children. Among the recommendations were specific strategies to address the curriculum. It was suggested that Hinterland teachers be part of the curriculum revision/review process; they should also be included in the marking of NGSA and other national assessments. Another recommendation was that the curriculum should be aligned with examinations/assessment taking into consideration local context of the various hinterland communities.
They also called on the Ministry of Education (MOE) to institutionalised Adult Education programmes in Region 9 and expressed the need for more supervision; parental support; Guidance & Counselling programmes. Residents requested the introduction of Portuguese at the Primary Level in the Region and the implementation of programme for teenage girls on teenage pregnancy and its impact on their reproductive health.
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