I AM DELIGHTED to greet you as we conclude celebrations for the 70th Anniversary of Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, under the theme “ Quality Education: A Rooted Past to a Sustainable Future.” For the last 70 years, this noble institution has blazed the trail for quality education in Barbados while enhancing its teacher education programmes, in an effort to improve teaching and learning in our schools. The UNESCO’s Education for All initiative and the 2015 Millennium Development Goals were recent global initiatives that acknowledged the role of education in the economic prosperity of every developing country.
Additionally, the quality of teaching and by extension the quality of the teacher, are directly linked to the achievement of quality outcomes in education and for societies at large. It is for these reasons that the matter of enhancing teacher quality has been a perennial priority for Erdiston Teachers’ Training College and consequently has inspired the 70th Anniversary theme.
As a College we aim to build a culture of professional learning. However, we recognise that we live in a dynamic world, and there is a constant need for paradigm shifts in the nature of teaching and learning to reflect current realities. In such an environment, teachers, administrators, and other staff must acquire, enhance, and refine their knowledge, skills, practices, and dispositions in order to optimise learning.
Erdiston College must see the creation of such environments as its singular role. In this context, the provision of initial teacher training, administrative training and support, and continuous professional development at all levels must continue apace, with an understanding of the need to develop pedagogies that are effective for a knowledge-driven era.
Our year-long celebrations afforded us an opportunity, not only to reflect on the stellar accomplishments of the past, but also to build sustainable practices that could see us leading the region in education and training. We recognise that becoming a global leader will mean embracing the new challenges that confront us and using them as opportunities for growth and for creating new gauges of how education can respond to social, economic and technological changes. Moreover, as we advance the UNESCO Education 2030 Agenda, we will need to hasten our efforts to achieve full accreditation of our institution and programmes, thereby improving the quality and relevance of graduates, and ensuring that the institution meets and maintains the strictest educational standards.
I wish the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College many more years of committed service to the Barbadian community and beyond. I thank God for an enlightened faculty and the high calibre of students we continue to produce.
We will proudly continue the mission of providing high-quality training and professional development for educators, while advancing scholarly research and facilitating the delivery of programmes that are aligned with the educational needs of the public.
