Education Minister pushes back against opposition claims on teacher training

Minister of Education, Sonia Parag

Minister of Education, Sonia Parag, on Wednesday strongly refuted claims made by APNU Member of Parliament Coretta McDonald that graduates of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) are being allowed to pass through the institution without meeting required academic standards.

The issue was raised during a morning radio programme in which McDonald suggested that CPCE was permitting students to graduate without fulfilling the necessary academic requirements. In response, Minister Parag described the assertion as false and misleading, arguing that it unfairly undermines both the institution and the teachers being trained to serve in Guyana’s schools.

“It’s completely false and quite frankly ridiculous,” Parag said, noting that such statements seek to discredit CPCE and the professionalism of teachers entering the education system. She emphasised that the college maintains strict graduation standards that students must meet before completing their training.

According to the minister, CPCE requires students to successfully satisfy academic coursework, practical teaching components, and formal assessments prior to graduation. She stressed that these requirements have always been in place and continue to be enforced.

Parag also highlighted that the teacher-training curriculum at CPCE has undergone revisions and updates over the past five years to ensure alignment with modern educational needs and classroom realities. These updates, she explained, are designed to better prepare teachers for effective delivery in schools across the country.

Providing broader context, the minister pointed out that during the period from 2015 to 2020, when the political party now represented by McDonald was in government, hundreds of teachers were trained under the same institutional framework. By contrast, she said the current administration has significantly expanded investment in teacher education, training more than 2,000 teachers annually.

The government, Parag added, has committed to achieving a fully trained teaching workforce, with the next phase focused on transitioning trained teachers into graduate-level qualifications. This, she said, represents a substantial investment not only in educators but also in the long-term development of Guyana’s children.

“Our focus is quality education and quality delivery in the classroom,” Parag stated, noting that curriculum reviews are ongoing and that several new and relevant courses have already been incorporated into CPCE’s programmes.

She expressed disappointment that an experienced educator would make what she described as “blatantly wrong” claims, cautioning that such statements mislead the public and erode confidence in national institutions tasked with teacher training.