At a significant milestone for Guyana’s education sector, 1,345 students graduated from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) on Friday at the Providence National Stadium, officially joining the ranks of trained teachers in the country. This marked the 92nd graduation ceremony of the institution, which recorded 1,456 registrations for the programme this year.
Delivering the feature address, Minister of Education Sonia Parag acknowledged the challenges students faced throughout their two-year training journey and urged the new teachers to lead with patience and compassion as they begin their careers.
“You would have gone through a journey that you have had obstacles, that you have had challenges, and yet you are sitting here on today’s date, and we are celebrating you and the fact that you have made it to the finish line after that journey,” Minister Parag remarked.
The minister also highlighted President Irfaan Ali’s vision of achieving 100% trained teachers across the nation, noting that the education system is steadily progressing towards this goal. She announced that graduates’ qualifications would be officially upgraded effective October 1, 2025, an announcement met with enthusiastic applause.
Since 2020, CPCE has produced 6,083 trained teachers, contributing to the current rate of 68% qualified educators in Guyana’s schools. Minister Parag challenged the new graduates to apply their training effectively and demonstrate its impact through their students’ success.
“It is up to you and the results you will see in your students, that you will know that the training that you have received in all of these years has borne fruits,” she said.
The minister also outlined specialised secondary education subjects including Geography, Chemistry, Physics, History, French, Portuguese, and Health and Family Life Education. Additionally, new programmes will train guidance and counselling officers over one year, and parents of children with special needs will benefit from a six-week training course.
