A
law was enacted in 1877 for the establishment of an institution
for the training of teachers for primary schools. It was
not however until 1928 that the first college was established
- known as the Teachers’ Training Centre (TTC).
In
1942, the institution was renamed the Government Training
College and in 1976, it acquired the present name –
the Cyril Potter College of Education familiarly known
as CPCE. Cyril Robert Gladstone Potter was the first Guyanese
principal of the institution.
As
the Act of 1877 noted, the main thrust of teacher education
was the initial training of primary teachers. In the school
system however, there was (1) a large backlog of qualified
but untrained teachers, (2) an inadequate number of trained
teachers for the secondary school, and (3) with the establishment
of a nursery school programme, the need to train teachers
for this level as well. In the response to these needs
the following teacher education institutions were established:
(1)
In- Service Teacher Training Programme (ITTP) –
established to train the backlog of qualified and mainly
mature untrained teachers in the system. Several ITTP
centres were established across Guyana.
(2)
The Lilian Dewar College of Education (LDCE)
– established in 1969 to provide training for teachers
to make them capable of teaching the first three forms
of junior, secondary, multilateral, and community high
schools. This programme was established as the Multilateral
Teachers’ Training Programme and renamed LDCE in
1972. Lilian Dewar was a Guyanese female who had given
distinctive service to secondary education.
(3)
The Nursery In-Service Teacher Training Programme (NITTP)-
established in 1980, with the mandate to train teachers
to service the school system at the Nursery level
There
were now four distinct teacher training programmes - CPCE,
ITTP, LDCE, and NITTP.
In
1974, CPCE removed from its Kingston location to the Turkeyen
campus in a new building and in 1983, LDCE also relocated
to a new building at the Turkeyen campus.
In
1985, the complete integration of the four discrete programmes
was effected. All formal teacher education and training
programmes came under one centralized administration body.
The
Chief Administrative Officer is the principal, who is
supported by three Vice-Principals, a number of Senior
Lecturers, and Administrator, a Senior Accounts Clerk,
a Registry Supervisor, a Matron, Resident Tutor, and Librarian.
With the integration of the four training programmes,
CPCE is now mandated to provide teacher education for
all levels of the school system nursery, primary, and
secondary.
Programmes
at the college generally include:
¨
Pre and in-service nursery programmes of a two year duration
¨ Pre and in-service primary programmes of a two year
duration
¨ Pre and in-service secondary academic programmes
of a three year duration
¨ Pre-service secondary and pre-vocational programmes
of a three-year duration.
Basic
components of all programmes include:
¨
Curriculum and enrichment studies (core subjects, music,
art, computer studies, etc.)
¨ Educational and professional studies (psychology,
philosophy, principles of education, etc.)
¨ Teaching practice
¨ Community service
In
response to the challenging demands for access and equity
and quality in education, the College has responded in
the following ways:
¨
From 1987 to 1995, it established a one year foundation
programme to upgrade knowledge and skills of under qualified
and untrained teachers to make them eligible for formal
teacher training- the organization and administration
of this programme was eventually taken over by the Region
with the College’s only responsibility being the
setting and marking of the examinations.
¨ The development of a hinterland and deep rive rain
foundation programme in a distance education mode. This
was the College’s first venture into distance education.
This programme began in 1994.
¨ The successful completion of a PEIP funded project-
a hinterland upgrading and teacher training programme
via distance and face-to-face which began in August 1996.
¨ The completion of modules for hinterland upgrading
teacher education courses in 1997- funded by the European
Union.
¨ The establishment of a CIDA funded distance education
upgrading and teacher certificate programme in regions
1,7,8,9. The upgrading programme has already begun in
regions 1, 8, and 9, and will soon begin in region 7.
¨ The successful demand for an evaluation of the College
programme to guide the way forward in the new millennium-
this was done by Audrey Armstrong Associates, and its
recommendations are being implemented.
¨ The upgrading of the entry level requirements for
2000, which now demands for CXC/GCE, subjects inclusive
of Mathematics and English Language instead of any four
CXC/GCE subjects. This has led to a significant decrease
in the level of intake from 600 to 300, but it is hoped
that this would improve the quality of output.
¨ From 2001, all programmes will be of a three-year
duration.
¨ The initiation of discussions with the Faculty of
Education, University of Guyana with regards to articulation
of programmes between the Faculty of Education and the
College.
¨ The re-establishment of in-service centres at Linden,
New Amsterdam, and the establishment of centres at Rose
Hall (secondary training only), Anna Regina, Vreed-en-Hoop,
and Georgetown.
¨ Efforts made by administration with ministry and
union officials to upgrade salary and working conditions
of staff to attract highly qualified staff.
From
2001, therefore the College will be operated fully in
the dual mode not of pre and in-service programmes, but
of pre-service and distance education programmes with
of cadre of better qualified students, and hopefully in
the future, a cadre of highly qualified, trained and experienced
staff.
