Continuing on the path of excellence, the University College of the Cayman Islands Education Programmes have been awarded the Joint Board of Teacher Education (JBTE) Validation recently.

An extensive exercise conducted by Administrator Dr. Marcia Stewart and the evaluation team from the JBTE University of the West Indies (Mona) ensured the UCCI Teacher Education Programmes meet both regional and international comparability of standards.

The UCCI Associate of Arts in Primary Education, Bachelor of Science in Primary Education and Post Graduate Certificate in Primary Education, designed in collaboration with the Cayman Islands Ministry of Education, were validated as adhering and reflecting the CARICOM Standards for quality in Teacher Education.

This validation comes shortly after UCCI was granted international accreditation by the UK-based Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASIC). University College President JA Roy Bodden, JP, said, “The validation of the education programmes is one more step towards the University College’s obtaining international benchmarks for all its programmes. As President, I welcome this achievement as it now means that Caymanian students need no longer go abroad for teacher education at the levels offered by UCCI.”

Hon. Tara Rivers, JP, Minister for Education, Employment and Gender Affairs said, “One of the most critical links to student success is the quality of teaching therefore, this validation is an important step for UCCI in ensuring that graduates of the teacher education programme have the skills necessary to start a successful and exciting teaching career.”

Mr. Christen Suckoo, Acting Chief Officer in the Ministry for Education, Employment and Gender Affairs said, “the validation of the education programme by the JBTE speaks to the quality of the programme and is a testament to the hard work and dedication by the Programme Leader and other University Personnel”.

The JBTE has been engaged in quality assurance in teacher education since 1965. Over this period the JBTE has rectified well over 50,000 teachers across the Caribbean, mainly from the Bahamas, Belize and Jamaica. The JBTE has contributed significantly to the development of colleges that train teachers.

UCCI’s Teacher Education Programmes are designed to prepare students for teaching in a government or private school at the primary level. Developed so that students learn best practices based on latest educational research, the programmes have been tailored specifically to meet the needs of schools and schoolchildren in the Cayman Islands.