Edmond Campbell, Senior News Coordinator
IN LESS than five years, persons training to become teachers will graduate with degrees, as the Government moves to revolutionise teacher education, by phasing out certificate programmes.
Cabinet on Monday approved the establishment of a Consortium of Institutions for Teacher Education (CITE), as a degree-granting body for the country's 10 teacher-education institutions.
Currently, there are 10 teacher-training colleges, which offer three-year diploma programmes in teacher education.
Recent reviews carried out by Government revealed that the certificates offered by these colleges are inadequate and have become less marketable.
LEAVE WITH A DEGREE
"The proposal is that over the next three to five years, the certificate programme that is being offered in the colleges would be phased out and everybody (who is) going to a teacher-training institution, leave with a degree," Mr. Campbell told journalists.
It is intended that all 10 teachers' colleges will be involved in the programme, through distance education.
According to the Information Minister, legislation will have to be drafted to permit the phasing in of the CITE programme. "When it's phased in (in) September, it will start with a year-four programme, so teachers who have been in college for three years and would normally graduate with a certificate, they may now opt to go on to the fourth year ... and by means of that process it is hoped that, in three to five years, the certificate programme would be abolished," Mr. Campbell explained.
The colleges participating include, Churches, Moneague, Bethlehem Moravian, the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts, GC Foster, Mico, St. Josephs, Sam Sharpe and Shortwood.
Each of these institutions will keep its identity, specialising in various aspects of teacher education.
Mr. Campbell also pointed out that teachers who graduated without a degree would now be able to complete courses through CITE and be awarded degrees.
Under the new programme, the cost to train a teacher each year will move from $100,000 to $250,000 per annum.
