8 July 2009
A week long Teachers' Refreshers Workshop aimed at helping to improve instruction to increase students' achievement kickoff yesterday on the Randall Street Campus of the St. Teresa Convent School.
Speaking during the formal opening of the workshop, Mrs. Anastasia Simmonds Capehart, chairperson of the United States based teacher's consultant group and generalist of the national board of Certified Early Childhood, observed that the present curriculum being used in Liberia schools produced since1996 is outdated and needs to be revised as soon as possible. She stressed the need for resource materials and prescribed text books in the school system to enhance instruction.
Mrs. Capehart disclosed that the workshop is being sponsored by the class 78 of the school based in the United States which seeks to improve early childhood education. She used the occasion to appeal to local and international organizations private individuals and partners in progress to provide tables for the STC kindergarten division to make the environment for little ones better.
For her part, STC principle Mrs. Rosemarie Gray expressed thanks and appreciation to the group for such golden opportunity, adding teachers should be willing to learn to upgrade their capacity.
Meanwhile the workshop is expected to end on Thursday of this week; the facilitators are drawn from all levels of the Liberian educational sector, with convent teachers being the recipients.
Training Against Land Dispute Intensifies - Several Counties' Officials in Attendance
The African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes in collaboration with the Peace building office at the Internal Affairs Ministry under the auspices of South African based civil society group (ACCORD) is currently undertaking a week-long peace-building training in Monrovia.
Speaking to this paper about the significance of the training, the Executive Director of Peace Building office in Liberia, Wilfred Gray-Johnson, said the training was intended to promote co-existence amongst Liberians, conflict resolution, promotion of peace and security amongst inhabitants amongst others.
According to him, there are many land dispute cases around the country that need quick response in order to avoid further conflict, noting that the resolution of land disputes depends on how Liberians understand the issue of conflict resolution. Mr. Gray-Johnson said that the issue of land dispute is a serious problem that needs quick training for people to speedily respond to the desire of cooling down tension amongst citizens.
He said that the training is also for academicians and members of the intellectual class so that they can make sound decision that will benefit the entire country, adding "the training for people of the country to enable them learn to live with each other."
Speaking during the official opening of the training at a local hotel in Monrovia Monday, Mr. Gray-Johnson said there are little over 35 participants drawn from government circle including superintendents, deputies and assistant ministers, representatives of United Nations agencies in the country, local and international representatives amongst others with special participants from Burundi and South Africa.
He noted that the country is in a transitional stage where peace building and conflict resolution remain cardinal. He added that reflection was needed to shift and sharpen the destiny of the country including training and conflict resolution, conflict analysis, conflict mapping amongst others.
Also speaking at the workshop, Grand Kru County Representative Wesseh Blamoh urged the organizers to consider taking such training in the leeward counties especially the southeastern region of the country. He added that part of the country is always left out in term of training and development.
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