CPCE trainees receive laptops from World Bank
March 19, 2013, By KNews, Filed Under News, Source
It was a day of joy for many teacher-trainees from the 2012 Cohort at Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), Johns Port Mourant branch in Berbice recently.
Teachers from the 2012 Cohort [batch] received their laptops for a minimal cost of $35,000. Payments will be done in monthly installments.
Teachers with their laptops recently.
At the 2012 graduation ceremony which was held at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) in December, Opposition Leader, Mr. David Granger, in delivering his charge to the graduates said, “We are working on the proposal for every teacher to have his/her own computer.”
A few days later, graduates from the 2010 cohort did receive their free laptops. However, last Wednesday’s distribution saw teachers having to pay $35,000 for their laptops. And the teachers were a bit disappointed.
One of the teacher-trainees from Lower Corentyne Secondary School said, “I would really like for someone to explain to us why we of the 2012 Cohort, have to pay for our laptops while students from the 2010 Cohort did not pay a cent?
“I don’t have a problem paying this amount of money, but I bet that for some of my fellow teachers whom I know, it would be very hard on them.
“I am also aware of the fact that the price for this computer that we have received here today from the World Bank is reasonable, but why some teachers have to receive free laptops, while others have to pay? This is definitely not equality to all teachers.”
Another teacher was asked to make a brief comment after receiving her laptop, and said, “It is really not fair that we have to pay for our computer and we are part of the Associate Degree in Education (ADE) Programme just like the 2010 Cohort. However, I would like to extend thanks to all the persons who have helped to make this possible.
Students from CPCE Johns were asked to walk with their first part payment of $5,000 and their ID cards. Joy was evident on the faces of all the trainees after seeing the CPCE gray bus heading its way into the compound of the University of Guyana, Tain Campus Johns.
Teacher-trainees from other satellite centres also received laptops.
