Designed to strengthen leadership at the District and School levels, and improve learning outcomes for children, the National Education Leadership Academy (NELA) was launched today by the Ministry of Education with support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the Inter-American Development Bank and the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO).

The flagship training programme will see 100 District and School leaders being equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to drive meaningful and lasting change across Guyana’s education system.

Minister of Education, Sonia Parag said having achieved Universal Primary education, the Government, through the Ministry of Education, is now laser focused on increasing accessibility and strengthening education systems as it pursues universal secondary education in Guyana.

Minister Parag said the launch of the Leadership Academy will help to transform the delivery of education in the country.

“Strong education systems are not sustained by policies; they are sustained by leaders who inspire teachers, who believe in the potential of every child, who confront inequity with courage, and who turn vision into action. Leadership is a bridge between our national aspirations and the daily reality of teaching and learning. It is that bridge that the National Education Leadership Academy is designed to strengthen,” Minister Parag said.

Acknowledging that disparities persist in the Education Sector between regions, genders and learners, particularly those with special education needs and disabilities, the Education Minister said too many children in the Hinterland and riverain communities face barriers that limit opportunities.

“These challenges are not abstract, they are deeply human and they demand leaders who are emphatic, ethical, data informed and relentlessly, relentlessly committed to equity. NELA – the National Education Leadership Academy – represents a powerful response to this call. It is an academy with a statement of confidence in our educators and our administrators. It is an investment at those who stand at the heart of our education system – those are school leaders, district leaders and instructional leaders who translate policies into practice and ensure that reform reaches every classroom,” Minister Parag said,

She said when the middle tier of education is strong, systems improve and teaching as well as learning improves.

During the next 18 months, the first cohort of leaders will engage in blended learning, combining theory with practice, and national priorities with local solutions.

Those to be trained include 16 Heads of Departments, 16 Senior Masters and Mistresses, 25 Education Officers, 5 aspiring Education Officers, and 6 Regional Education Officers.

Chief Education Officer (CEO), Saddam Hussain said the Academy is being rolled out at a time when leadership is missing at the level of some schools.

“We have fantastic teachers in Guyana, but I think what has happened is that the ministry’s previous system of looking at records rather than actual performance has made our leaders into what we call paper tigers. And so, what you have happening is leadership is sometimes missing from the school itself,” the Chief Education Officer said.

Citing an example, Hussain said with the support of the IDB, the Ministry of Education launched an initiative to supply children with potable water at school, but it has received push backs because the leadership of the schools is refusing to accept responsibility for the project.

He said Academy would therefore be used to improve the attitudes and conduct of teachers, and address other issues confronting schools including bullying.

IDB Country Representative in Guyana, Lorena Solarzano-Salazar said the IDB is pleased to support the Ministry of Education in the launch of the National Education Leadership Academy.

She said the Academy represents a key pillar of the Government’s commitment to modernize and professionalize the educational leadership in every region.

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