Catholic educators throughout the region have converged in New Providence to spend the week preparing for the upcoming academic year. 

The 25th Biennial Conference of the Caribbean Association of Catholic Teachers (CACT) will have 100 persons participating in the retraining initiative, with a key part of discussions focused in the new strategic agenda for Catholic schools throughout the region. 

Director of Catholic Education Bahamas and President of CACT Claudette Rolle said if teachers expect to be effective as educators, there must be a gathering to discuss what will be implemented for all Catholic schools throughout the Caribbean, therefore the discussion of the new strategic plan. 

“We’re looking at governance.  We’re looking at revising the curriculum.  Curriculum revision is ongoing,” Mrs. Rolle said. 

“We’re also looking at values, looking at the characteristics and what are those characteristics that we want to continue to enforce or nurture in our children.

“We’re also looking at the development of our teachers, professional development.

“There is also a lot more to do with literacy, a lot more to do with numeracy and so, we’re also going to be doing a lot more with that.”

Mrs. Rolle added that apart from the development of teachers, it is also hoped the conference will focus on how educators can go about fulfilling purpose, looking at their vocation and determining why they are educators. 

“We are also looking at how do we deal with the millennial parents, not just the students, but the parents because we realize throughout the region that parenting has changed,” Mrs. Rolle said.   
“A lot of us are from the baby boomers generation or we have millennial teachers and so the way we are able to deal with them, we need to know a little bit more because it’s just another generation.”

A product of Catholic education and having served on the Catholic Board of Education, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Lorraine Armbrister highlighted the importance of retraining, while giving remarks on behalf of the minister of education. 

“Competence is one of our main priorities, for we are cognizant of the fact that the proficiency level of the instructional leader is directly linked to the performance of our students,” Mrs. Armbrister said.

“I am pleased to learn that your conference sessions will also focus on spiritual enrichment and service along with cultural events, which will nurture the cognitive, psychological, social and physical faculties of the delegates.”

Mrs. Armbrister also told the delegates that there is much for which Catholic schools have to be proud. 

“The theme for this conference, ‘Silver Past, Golden Future, Committed Love, Teaching and Serve’ is directly linked to the ideals of the Ministry of Education for we are continually emphasizing the importance of the positive development of our instructional leaders, particularly through lifelong learning,” Mrs. Armbrister said.   

“We realize the value of exposing our educators to retraining to ensure that they are embracing the demands of the 21st century classroom.”

The week-long conference brings together delegates from Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, and Jamaica.