The Anguilla Teachers’ Union, under the leadership of the President, Ms Emma Ferguson, took the opportunity of the opening ceremony of Early Childhood Education Month to hold a one-day workshop for teachers.
Ms Ferguson told media representatives: “The Anguilla Teachers’ Union is a very excited partner with the Early Childhood Education Organisation and we are on the same focus. The ATU is presenting the professional development portion for the preschool teachers – and the theme for the workshop is “Investing in a Sound Foundation for Great Returns”’.
Kelly Bute-Seaton, Emma Ferguson, Susan Smith and Claire Elshot
She was pleased to have as one of the main presenters Ms Kelly Bute-Seaton, a representative of Laureate Education Online which comprises the distant learning programmes of Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the University of Rockhampton in Australia and the University of Liverpool in England.
Ms Ferguson said that four teachers from Anguilla had already enrolled in the Master’s Degree programme at Walden University and that Ms Bute-Seaton had come to Anguilla with additional study packages.
The visiting university official said the degree programme incorporates early childhood education.
Other workshop presenters were Mrs Caroll Shannon, whose topic were “Signs of abuse in young children” and Mrs Njeri Richardson-Carty who spoke on “Learning disabilities in early learners”.
Meanwhile, Ms Claire Elshort-Aventurin, President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union in St Maarten, who has family links in Anguilla, also addressed the teachers. Just back from Jamaica, attending the North American and Caribbean Regional Conference of Education International, she spoke about a partnership in which Anguilla can participate.
She said the partnership not only involved placing a high priority on organising early childhood education, but seeking legislation and other policy efforts, involving regional Governments, to protect the rights of children and teachers, as well as to strengthen capacity building for teachers.
