ST GEORGE’S, GRENADA– The OECS Programme for Educational Advancement and Relevant Learning (OECS PEARL), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, recognised 12 unsuspecting teachers with visits to their schools to distribute gift baskets in observance of Teachers Month 2024 which is celebrated in June each year.
On the last day of distribution, Wednesday, June 26, a team from the ministry visited St. George’s Methodist and Bonair Government on mainland Grenada, while a representative travelled to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Carriacou to make the presentations.
One of the recipients, Reshana Britton, who is a teacher at the Bonair Government School, said she was overwhelmed and surprised by the gesture.
Britton,who has been teaching for 14 years, said,“Sometimes, teachers’work goes unnoticed. It means a lot that someone identified, or the ministry is showing appreciation for our work now. It’s really appreciated.”
Acting principal at the Bonair Government School, Gordon Welsh, said that having two of his teachers recognised is more than awesome. The veteranteacher, with more than 30-years experience, said it was the first time he witnessed teachers being appreciated by the Ministry of Education and applauded the OECS PEARL for the initiative.
“To be honest, teachers work very hard, and they are really recognised for the efforts they put into this teaching profession. It’s a very good thing that’s being done, and I can assure you that this kind of initiative [will] get teachers motivated and really want to go the extra mile to ensure that what they are doing for the children is really being done to the best of their ability.”
Project assistant for the OECS Pearl Grenada, Chimron John, said judging from the responses from the teachers, it is an initiative that will be repeated.
John said,“We felt that this initiative was very important to us because we do understand that teachers work very, very hard in this teaching profession, and sometimes they do feel under appreciated, so as we celebrate Teachers’ Month, we felt as though it would be very nice to visit certain schools and present teachers with just a little gesture of appreciation. Let them know that as a Ministry of Education and as the OECS Pearl, we see, and we care.” The twelve teachers were selected by district education officers and the OECS PEARL to represent areas of focus for the programme. They included teachers from Early Childhood Education(ECE), Special Education Needs (SEN), and the OECS PEARL Continuous School and Systems Improvement CSSI Model Pilot Programme.
The OECS PEARL is a four-year programme funded with a USD$10 million grant from the GlobalPartnershipfor Education(GPE).Its aim is to increase access to and improve student learning in basic education. The OECS Programme for Educational Advancement and Relevant Learning (OECS PEARL) has been serving Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada since 2021.
NamesofTeachersAppreciatedandSchools
- Galine Andrews WindsorForestPreSchool
- Rickel Telesford-John GeorgeGovernment
- LerrisaWalters Theresa’s Catholic
- Sandra Pierre George’s Methodist
- Naomi Charles River Sallee Government
- Persha DeGale Telescope Primary School
- Geneisha Mark Joseph’sR.C.
- Davika Phillip George’s Methodist
- Reshana Britton Bonair Government
- Marcia Morris Bonair Government
- Shanna DeCoteau Enoe Thomas Aquinas Catholic School
- Pamela Caesar Thomas Aquinas Catholic School
