Gov’t moving to recruit trainee teachers straight out of high school– Hon de Castro
The Minister, during a Government programme called Public Eye broadcasted yesterday, June 13, 2023, said this is one of the ways the Education Ministry is looking to mitigate the effects of teachers shortages in the VI.
Programme to be re-launched
According to Hon deCastro, Government is looking to relaunch the recruitment/training programme.
“We used to have a teacher training programme way back where persons were in high school, graduating seniors, who were interested in teaching had the opportunity to come into the profession as a teacher trainee.”
Hon deCastro said the trainee programme will allow the seniors to be teachers for a year to two, then go off to study as part of a programme that was implemented where some current teachers in the system got their start like that.
“And so we're reinstituting it, we’re about to make some announcements and have some meetings with our high school seniors to see how we could channel some of them into the profession.”
Opportunity a gateway into profession
Hon deCastro added, “Because we believe that to be an opportunity and a gateway where we could recruit the requisite talent right out of high school and give them the professional development certification and degrees necessary to come up and grow in the profession,” she said.
Hon de Castro said the move will also fill the need for teachers, which is a challenge in the VI given the regional demand for teachers and the better remuneration being offered.
She reminded that teachers in the Cayman Islands, for example, get a starting salary of about $70,000 while in the neighbouring US Virgin Islands (USVI) the salary will be $50, 000 starting August 2023.
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45 Responses to “Gov’t moving to recruit trainee teachers straight out of high school– Hon de Castro ”
It is a bad idea and not beneficial to our children.
Then we get mad when the "system" failing our children. When WE never thought about what's ACTUALLY useful for us to teach them. Because you got caught up in the same system you putting them through and not even realise the never ending cycle.
See what you said, "They simply do not care...". If you care take the initiative to do something. It's up to us. We can't depend on the government to find all the solutions. lol they just trying what they can to keep the situation at bay.
I am waiting for the day when a parent sues or a class action suit is filed against the government and the Minister of Education. I can NOT wait!!! We have certainly scraped the bottom of the barrel by letting this woman run education. And you wonder why businesses , local and foreign, do not want to hire our graduates? This is madness!!!!!! YOU ARE PLACING OUR CHILDREN IN A POSITION WHERE THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO COMPETE IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY. What the hell is this government interested in? Take the $250,000.00 and BEGIN to fix the high school!!!
Can a child who just graduated teach this, yes but the majority of them do not have good manners or are mature.
Many adults need social training including the teachers. The requirements are all backwards when its the training of a generation at stake.
Id rather a teacher who teaches proper social behavior without shouting at the kids than a teach with degrees that flies off on them.
We've all been to school.... the teachers with the most respect treated kids well and were obeyed. Students pressure other kids to behave around those teachers.
This sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.
Yes, what about Peace Corps or qualified teachers from the UK?
We are looking for a better BVI and this is the conversation. This is not forwards ever, backwards never . This is backwards from here after.
This place is going to the dogs mehn.
This shows no respect for the children and no respect for teaching as a profession. Yes, teaching is a Profession. It requires professional education, certification, and compensation.
You are doing your young people and nation a great disservice by not making education a priority.
All around the world teachers are not given priority when it comes to their salaries. This is an area that needs immediate attention. Teachers have to deal with a lot on a daily basis. For the teachers who only do it as a job and don’t have their heart in it, they won’t stay. The teachers who care about the wellbeing of the students, stay for the fulfillment they get.
NOW, if we as parents would play our part and bring up our children with discipline and respect, it won’t be such a challenge for the teachers. When teachers have to deal with violence and verbal abuse on a daily basis, who would want to stay. Parents, stop letting your children do what they want! Be parents! If you don’t know how to parent, don’t have children who grow up to be a menace to society. When a teacher tries to discipline a child, the first thing the parent does is march up to the school to abuse the teacher. We are raising monsters. Hence the shortage of teachers. If we as parents don’t do better, we will continue to have this problem as no teacher, no matter how much they care or how much we pay them, will want to deal with rude, violent and disrespectful students.
You really didn't believe that once a student graduates from medical school, they are doctors? In theory, yes- not practicality. Residency, or the training necessary to hone in the professional skills, are required!
And yes, I agree with having teacher trainees.
What's wrong with encouraging more of our students to become teachers. The real incentive, would be to start such students, after trainee sessions and college,with a enviable employment package.
I know there are issues with reading, ritin', and 'rithmetic, currently. But we cannot let those issues deter us from the problems at hand- getting qualified, and interested persons with the interest, to teach in the classrooms.
This,we must resolve to do,to ensure a knowledgeable society for us all !
The question is always asked where will be their place of refuge or shelter. It is sad to see the level of pushing around the young people of this territory gets.
1. The learnt have no tolerance for our young
people in jobs they push them around like
they are shifting paper then trash them.
2. They are looked down upon because they
sometimes have to tell the learnt the truth
Then they are deemed rude.
3. The learnt doesn't understand the young
people of today. Infact they refuse to
understand them. Before they try to
Embrace them they push to fire them
because of egotism. It is just a Shameful
Act That the youths seems to have no
chance of survival.
Perhaps we need to change the way we teach our children in school and go back to the the olden way of teaching them a trade because that may be the only way they may survive.
We are just in a sad state. I cry for our territory and I cry for our young people.
For heaven sake we need a better approach towards our young people. Down with our foolish ways towards them and help to allow them to reach their fullest potential. They need guidance, love, a shoulder to cry on, wise counsel, respect, allow them to be themselves,
And the list goes on. Sometimes it requires putting your hands in your pocket even when you are hurting to help them. It takes a village to raise a child. All of us can do better and stop making life so hard for them. I'm speaking to all those of us who feels we have already arrived. We can do better and stop making the young people lives a living hell fire. Stop it. stop it. Stop it.
You dont have to like my post because it may offer you but some one have to stand up for them. If it takes me alone to stand for them I'm prepared to do so. The question to all of us today is, are we prepared to change our ways towards them. It matters not if they are your close relatives or friends, to me all lives matter.
Seek out the best in people and stop dwelling on the past and their weaknesses. embrace the new generation of change. They are the change agents of today and tomorrow.