Roseau, Dominica – May 9, 2008……… Chief Education Officer, Mr. Stephenson 
Hyacinth, has outlined some of the initiatives and programmes being undertaken by the Ministry of Education to improve the quality of education being offered at Dominica’s schools.
The Chief Education Officer made the remarks at the handing over of school supplies by two United States citizens at a short ceremony on Wednesday.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Hyacinth revealed that Government had begun a programme to train the backlog of untrained teachers in Dominica at both primary and secondary schools. The programme is being undertaken at the Dominica State College.
Mr. Hyacinth also listed a number of other initiatives and programmes. These include:
· Reading skills of school children from Grades 1-3 in Dominica’s sixty-three 63) primary schools are being improved under the Caribbean Centres of Excellence in Teacher Training (C-CETT) programme financed by the United States Agency for International Development(USAID). Six reading specialists have undergone training.
· In January, 2008, the Ministry of Education hosted the second Excellence in Teaching Awards, an initiative designed to celebrate and publicly acknowledge the efforts of outstanding teachers.
· The launch of the Teacher’s Code of Ethics took place in October, 2007. The code of ethics seeks, among other things, to set standards in the teaching profession.
· Two Hundred and Fifty (250) computers obtained from schools in the UK and distributed to primary and secondary schools across Dominica. This was facilitated by the UK Sustainable Living Initiative Centre and the Rosalie Forest Eco-Lodge.
· In April, 2008 the Ministry of Education hosted the National Science, Mathematics and Technology Fair under the theme, “Building Country through Science, Maths and Technology”.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hyacinth accepted a consignment of school supplies from John Scanelli from the United States at Wednesday’s handing over ceremony.
The supplies, which arrived in two 40ft containers, included computers, chairs, desks and cabinets. The supplies were shipped free of charge by Tropical Shipping.
One of the containers also contained computers for the Portsmouth Secondary School donated by the American Caribbean Education Commission, an organisation made up of Dominicans living in the United States and residing in Dominica. Members of the Organisation include Hon.Ian Douglas, Wayne Augustine, Levi Deroche, Tamara Lowe, Phillip Joseph, Federick Armour among others.
The ceremony was also attended by Senator Gloria Shillingford, the Secretary General of the Dominica National Commission for UNESCO, representing Education Minister, Hon. Vince Henderson, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Jennifer Lafond, Chief Education Officer, Mr. Stephenson Hyacinth and other officials from the Ministry of Education, Regional Manager, Tropical Shipping, Mr. Pedro Moline, Local Manager, Mr. Tom Lafond and the principal, staff and students from the Goodwill Primary School.
