| The global economic and financial crisis brings into sharp focus the need to have a trained, readily trainable and re-trainable work force in the Caribbean.This is according to Deputy Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, who, yesterday in her address to the opening of the 17th Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) on Education, said that today’s global situation makes it imperative for countries such as those in the region to re-orient and fine-tune their systems to cope with the phenomenon.Twelve ministers with responsibility for education and several representatives from regional educational institutions,wholesale jerseys, as well as other stakeholders in education, are attending the two-day COHSOD meeting.Performing ‘Just Me’, fifth grade student Adriel Isaacs set the tone for yesterday’s meeting.Critical to re-orienting and fine-tuning the systems is the development of human capital, for which education is the driver, Ambassador Applewhaite said.The meeting was hosted under the theme,Cheap Jerseys From China, ‘Accelerating the Implementation of the Education Agenda’.According to Ambassador Applewhaite, this theme aptly reflects the recognition that education is, and must continue to be, pivotal in national and regional efforts to sustain and enhance productivity and economic growth as well as social cohesion.This basic principle that development and economies are about people, which was considered radical twenty years ago, continues to be a critical factor in the region’s move towards integration, she told the gathering.Over the years, the education programmes at primary, secondary and tertiary levels have been evolving to reflect the changing needs of society.“We have been paying special attention to early childhood care and development, because we recognise the critical importance of those formative years in the development of the child.”Significant strides, she noted,Wholesale Cheap Jerseys China, have been made in several Member States in the area of Early Childhood Care and Development.The ultimate goal in this sector, the ambassador pointed out, is the harmonisation of regulations and standards that will help to facilitate effective delivery of quality early childhood services in all Member States.Tertiary education, including teacher-training, is one of the priority areas for the meeting, which will end today.The Community has also placed greater emphasis, she said,Jerseys NFL Wholesale China, on the re-organisation of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to provide the requisite skill-development that would satisfy workplace demands.This will not only provide greater scope for employment within the region, but will further position the region for competitive participation in the global economy.The operations of the CSME demand a common system and understanding across the region of quality assurance issues at all levels of education and training, and portable qualifications, especially in TVET, she added.“The fact that we can now move from national vocational qualifications to a regional vocational qualification is testimony to the political will and hard work invested in the process by our Member States.”The meeting is being held at the Guyana International Conference Centre, where there is a mini-exhibition of the region’s publications.At yesterday’s opening ceremony, several Guyanese students were among those in the audience.Dr Edward Greene, Assistant Secretary General, Human and Social Development,Wholesale Jerseys USA, said that the 17 th meeting of COHSOD is significant for the special attention it gives to the regional educational agenda as for the emphasis that it places on the accelerated implementation of policies and programmes designed to mold,Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys, meld and mature the human resources capacity of the region. |
