GUT Hosts Successful Workshop

The Grenada Grand Beach Resort was the site for a Sub – Regional Workshop on Education Policy organized by EI’s Regional Office for the Caribbean. The Workshop, which ran from the 25th to the 27th of November, 2009 saw participants coming from Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and host country Grenada.
The workshop began with an opening ceremony on the morning of November 25 at which there were several speakers. Among them were: President General of the Grenada Union of Teachers Mr. Kenny James who welcomed the participants and urged them to work hard, learn well but find time to enjoy the “Spice Isle”. Also addressing the function was First Vice President of the CUT Mr. Marvin Andall. In his address, Mr. Andall characterized the participants as: 1) Vacationers, who are out to have a “Good Time”, 2) Intellectuals who know it all and will show little interest in what is happening, 3) Prisoners who were sent by their unions and feel trapped in the hotel and 4) “Good Students” who will absorb all they can and participate fully in all sessions. He encouraged the participants to be “Good Students”. Mrs. Elizabeth Henry Greenidge, Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Education for her part, called for the formulation of sound policies for the overall development of the Education Sector within the Caribbean. She also reminded the teachers that their job may not be the best paying one but it is definitely the most important. Workshop Co-ordinator - Mrs. Virginia Albert-Poyotte gave an overview of the workshop. She said that she was happy to organize the workshop since Research and Policy Development are among the weakest areas of operation for the region’s unions. She called on Caribbean Teacher organizations to be more proactive on the issues of Research and Policy Development. Mrs. Poyotte expressed the hope that the participants will returned to their respective units to revamp or establish a Research and Policy Development Unit or Committee.

Following the Opening Ceremony, participants got down to serious business. Over the three days, participants heard presentations and discussed at length such topics as:
 What is Education Policy
 The Education Policy Cycle
 The Role of Teachers’ Union in the Policy Cycle
 Identification of Critical Issues in Education
Policy Development
 Education Policy Research, Analysis and Planning
 The Global Economic Crisis

The presenters were graduates of previous Education Policy Workshops; Mr. Kenny James – President General of the Grenada Union of Teachers and Mr. Julian Monrose – President St. Lucia Teachers’ Union. Completing the lineup was Mrs. Virginia Albert-Poyotte – Education International’s Regional Co-ordinator for the Caribbean. All presenters were knowledgeable in their respective areas and made lively and excellent presentations.

Participants were also engaged in Role Plays depicting real scenarios of policy design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. As part of the Workshop participants were also required to prepare a sort of “Comeback Clause” – a plan of action for implementation on their return to their units.

Kudos!! Mrs. Virginia Albert-Poyotte, the Executive and members of the Grenada Teachers Union for a well prepared, excellently delivered and efficiently managed workshop.

The “Isle of Spice”?
She was Nice!
So we must do it Twice!!

Prepared by:
Jerry Coipel – Dominica Association of Teachers
&
Judlyn Smith – Grenada Union of Teachers