Teacher guides awarded for contribution to schools cooperative project

Thirty-three years ago there were 27 student guides under the schools cooperative programme. Today, that number has grown to 89, representing over 80 schools across the country and 11,000 students.{{more}}

But there is still a lot of room for improvement, said Sandra Davis at the Ministry of Mobilisation’s Teacher Guides Award Ceremony last Friday.

Teacher guides from the various education institutions across the country were recognized for the contribution they make to the schools cooperative project.

Davis gave a historical overview of the schools cooperative programme, saying that it started as part of the credit union’s outreach to the various communities.

Following a seminar in November 1978, the schools co-op was set up and a steering committee appointed.

There were a few challenges, some which, Davis said, remain unchanged.

“Today, this has not changed, but as the programme progressed with adequate training and promotion, the students in some institutions had the responsibility under the supervision of the teacher guide,” she said.

“And as teacher guides you know what your role and functions were and what it is today,” Davis continued, adding that without the teacher guides there would have been no schools co-op.

But despite the various challenges, the project has been a rewarding one for those involved with the amount of money that has been spent on training, Davis said.

“Teacher guides, the sky is the limit in what can be done through school cooperatives,” she said.

One of the plaguing challenges, Davis said, was the low numbers of students who are currently involved in the project.

The ideal, Davis said, was to have every child from three years to the age they finish school be a member of the schools cooperative programme.

“So, we have a mammoth task ahead — over 11,000 students — but still we have further ahead to go.”

Meanwhile, Junior Bacchus, president of the St Vincent and the Grenadines League, saluted the teachers for paving the way forward.

He referred to the initial 27 teachers and the hard work put in to ensure the future success of the programme.

“Teacher guides have played their part and paved the way and have made us successful; those 27 who started and others who started — the youths — [we are] almost certain they moved on with their accounts as adults,” he said.

“So we have a good foundation — the succession plan is in place,” Bacchus added. (DD)