Georgetown, GINA, January 24, 2004

The Basic Competency Certificate Programme (BCCP) will be launched next Thursday.
The BCCP is a technical and vocational training programme certified by the Guyana Technical Education Examination Board.
Although it is a technical programme, major subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Integrated Science and Social Studies will still be taught.
This is part of the Ministry’s programme to ensure that students are functionally literate.
This programme will be piloted at St. John’s Community High School, Lodge Community High School, Beterverwagting Community High School, Fort Wellington Secondary, Manchester Secondary and Linden Foundation Secondary.
Teachers at the six pilot schools have already been trained to conduct the programme.
The policy adopted by the Ministry is that while this programme is being implemented in the pilot schools other schools would become interested in the project.
This is a strategy which has been successfully implemented in the Caribbean through the Competency Based Education methodology.
The majority of the training will be facilitated at Practical Instruction Centres commonly known as Trade Schools.
The project will be launched at the National Centre for Educational Research and Development (NCERD).
After the launch, a two-day workshop will be facilitated to orient heads of departments and staff members of the six pilot schools.