Promoting Professional Development and Education Reform

From its inception, the Association has been heavily involved in teacher professional development. In fact, the Association proudly boasts that it was founded on the twin pillars of industrial relations and professional development, with both areas being given very serious consideration by the Association.

TTUTA’s Professional Development Department, the responsibility of the First Vice President (currently Ms. Sally Siriram) has the responsibility for promoting the welfare of members of the Association in all that concerns their professional development. Among the activities spear headed by Department are:

• The provision of on-site professional development seminars for teachers;
• The forging of alliances with institutions (both local and distance-based) to assist teachers in attaining professional qualifications;
• Personal Enhancement Courses; · In house courses of special interest to teachers, for example, Preparing for Promotion/Retirement, Team-Building skills;
• The development of a Code of Ethics for teachers
• Recognition of the significant role of teachers in Month of the Teacher celebrations held annually in the month of October. Among the activities are a professional Day for teachers and District Conventions;
• Celebration of World Teachers’ Day;
• Hosting of education conferences for members and non-members.

The Association has also made significant contributions to education development at the national level. Its activities in this area include:

• Significant input in Government Policy on Education (White Paper) (1993-2003);
• Co- sponsorship of National Consultation on Violence and Indiscipline in Schools (1989);
• A strong and vocal stance on various reforms in Education, for example, Performance Management and Appraisal (PMAP) for the Teaching Service, system of Heads and Deans in Secondary Schools, Universal Secondary Education (USE), Continuous Assessment of Performance (CAP), the Biche High School (to name a few). It has, through research and structured intervention, influenced the government to reshape the reform efforts or to reconsider its strategies for implementation of reforms;
• Advocacy for the retention and restructuring of Technical Vocational Education;
• Cooperation with the Ministry of Education by serving on committees established by the Ministry.

The work of the Professional Development Department is strongly supported by the contribution of TTUTA members who sit on several education committees, (Professional Advancement, Pre-School Education, Primary Education, Secondary Education, Tertiary Education, Special Education, and Technical/Vocational Education) and formulate proposals which guide discussions and inform policy devised by the Association. TTUTA’s General Council nominates members sitting on these committees.

As TTUTA’s Professional Development Department regards the future there are several plans on its drawing board, which it intends to realise. These include deeper cooperation with other institutions, for example, the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, and its current distance education ally, the Mt. St. Vincent University in enhancing the professional development qualifications of teachers. Its envisions a role for itself in arranging short courses to serve the identified special needs of teachers. It has also devised plans to provide a wider and more varied range of on-site seminars, training and enhancement programmes.

Head of the Professional Development Department, First Vice-President of TTUTA, Ms. Sally Siriram, feels that this department through its informed arguments and well researched proposals, sheds much needed light on the education reform efforts on the Ministry of Education. She also observed that TTUTA will continue to vigorously promote professional development of its members and education reform so that both teachers and students will be sufficiently prepared to achieve their goals in our society.