In a significant step toward educational equity, Minister of Education Sonia Parag has announced the construction of a new Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) centre in Charity, Essequibo Coast, ending what she described as an era where teachers in remote communities were forced to leave their homes and families to gain professional certification.
A total of $45 million has already been allocated in the 2026 budget to kickstart the project, which will specifically serve educators from the Pomeroon River and other hard-to-reach communities in Region Two.
Addressing headteachers at a recent forum in the region, Minister Parag emphasised that the facility represents a fundamental step toward national educational equity.
“Teachers no longer have to travel to wherever or go just online. You will have the experience of an in-classroom teaching at CPCE right here in Region Two. And that’s something that you should applaud,” she said.
The human cost of the current arrangement was brought into sharp focus by Ms. Janika Jones, Acting Headteacher of Jacklow Nursery in the Pomeroon, who described the gruelling routine she endured while pursuing her own training at the existing CPCE centre in Anna Regina.
“I have experienced that and it wasn’t easy. We usually have to be on the water top late at nights. Sometimes we reach home after 10:00 p.m. and then we still have to attend to our children and our families,” Ms. Jones shared.
Once completed, the new modern facility will feature a dedicated classroom block, staff offices, a kitchen area, and washroom facilities — all housed within an elevated ridge-and-beam structure. The centre is expected to play a direct role in advancing the Government’s goal of moving the national percentage of trained teachers from over 90% to a perfect 100%.
Minister Parag stressed that investing in teacher development is ultimately an investment in the nation’s children and its future.
“The development of our teachers means the development of our children and our future,” she said.
The announcement comes on the back of significant sector investment over the past five years, with the CPCE producing record numbers of graduates — including over 1,300 in its most recent cohort.
