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Commemorative Journal Celebrates 50 Years of UWI's Postgraduate Diploma in Education

For Release Upon Receipt - August 16, 2024

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago – August 16, 2024 – The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St. Augustine Campus is pleased to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PG DipEd) Programme at the School of Education (SoE), Faculty of Humanities and Education (FHE). In recognition of this milestone, a Commemorative Journal titled, Fifty Years of Shaping Minds and Building Futures: 50th Anniversary Commemorative Journal of The UWI St. Augustine School of Education, Postgraduate Diploma in Education, was launched at a specially planned symposium which marked the culmination of the annual celebration.

The diamond jubilee year of the programme was celebrated during the 2023-2024 academic year and the journal is the product of collaboration among past and present faculty and staff, alumni and other stakeholders. The PG DipEd is a top choice for teacher training in Trinidad and Tobago and is known for its excellence and professional development. By enrolling in this programme, secondary school teachers and leaders can enhance their credentials and contribute significantly to society. The PG DipEd provides professional education and training (professional learning) for in-service teachers who hold a first degree or equivalent and who teach at the secondary school level.    The Diploma in Education 50th Anniversary Time Capsule is displayed to mark the legacy of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PG DipEd) Programme. 

In the journal, Dr Rawatee Maharaj-Sharma, Director of the School of Education, highlighted that  “early and recent graduates of the PG DipEd are today the policy makers and planners of our education system; the ones to whom the sacred responsibility for educating our nation is entrusted”  (p. 7). Dr Rinnelle Lee-Piggott and Ms Sharon Phillip, the current Coordinators of the PG DipEd programme, built on that description by describing the PG DipEd as possessing “a solid theoretical and evidence-informed base in the educational foundation disciplines, curriculum, assessment and pedagogy...”  (p. 38).

Administrators from The UWI provided congratulatory messages in the journal. The Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, posited that the PG DipEd “contributed greatly to the training and certification of many secondary school teachers, strengthening the quality of secondary education in Trinidad and Tobago and beyond”, (p. 2). The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education, Professor Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw highlighted that “throughout the past decades, the DipEd programme has remained a stronghold amongst FHE postgraduate offerings, often times receiving the highest number of postgraduate  candidates and likewise, producing the largest body of postgraduate graduates” (p. 5).

Dr Marcia Rainford the Director of the SoE, Mona Campus, in her congratulatory message, attributed the “sustained, successful delivery” of the PG DipEd to the “high-quality faculty, the commitment to respond to the needs of stakeholders, the relevance of the content of the programme and the strong culture of quality assurance that underpins change in the SoE” (p. 8). 

The lead article in the journal was written by Dr Susan Herbert, Senior Lecturer at the SoE, STA.  Entitled, “Fifty Years of Shaping Minds and Building Futures the Postgraduate Diploma in Education Programme: Contextual Background and Beginnings”, the article contextualises the programme and provides historical information on its early beginnings in the areas of staffing and structure. She foregrounds the programme by describing the educational climate that existed with the expansion of secondary school opportunities According to her “the need for teacher professional development within TT, recognised since 1968 but unrealised at the time due to lack of financial resources, became even more urgent and the Minister of Education requested that the Diploma in Education (DipEd) be delivered in Trinidad by the UWI St. Augustine” (p. 17). She mapped the changes in the programme overtime and concluded that the 1973 framework provided a template for the current design. The current coordinators of the DipEd programme, Dr Rinnelle Lee-Piggott and Mrs Sharon Phillip shared the current offerings in the programme.

The Commemorative Journal for the PG DipEd programme offers a rich and detailed account of its 50-year history. Key features of the journal include:

Timeline of Leadership: A timeline of directors, managers, and supervisors who coordinated the programme from 1973 to 2023.

Milestones: Highlights of key milestones throughout the 50-year period.

Class Lists: A side-by-side comparison of the first graduating class of 1973 and the Golden Jubilee class of 2023-2024.

Photo Gallery: A visual showcase of lecturers and students across various specialisations within the programme.

Legacy Documentation: Stories of the programme's inception, reflections, and experiences from staff and alumni, preserving the legacy of those who contributed to its success.

Contributions of Movers and Shakers: Recognition of significant contributions from key figures in various specialisations.

Current Offerings: Information on the current offerings of the PG DipEd programme

To join in celebrating 50 Years of Shaping Minds and Building Futures with The UWI’s School of Education, PG DipEd programme, purchase your limited-edition journal today at The UWI Bookstore at St. Augustine for $TT200.

Author: Petronetta Pierre-Robertson, Managing Editor and Documentalist, School of Education, The UWI St. Augustine Campus

 

Dr Rawatee Maharaj-Sharma, Director, School of Education, The UWI St. Augustine shares remarks to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of The Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PG DipEd) Programme at the School of Education (SoE) Auditorium. 

 

Professor Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw, Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Education, The UWI St. Augustine commends the School of Education for the accomplishment of this milestone event in her address to the audience.

 

Jean Bahadur and Sonia Mae Noel members of the first cohort of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PG DipEd) Programme (1973-1974) The UWI St. Augustine ebulliently places artifact in the time capsule as Shirdi Ali, Lecturer of the School of Education facilitates the process. 

 

(L-R) Mrs. Petronetta  Pierre-Robertson, Managing Editor and Documentalist, School of Education, Dr Rawatee Maharaj-Sharma, Director, School of Education, The UWI St. Augustine, Shirdi Ali, Lecturer of the School of Education, Abdul Khan, President of the Council and Representative of the 50th Cohort alongside Sonia Mae Noel and Jean Bahadur, members of the first cohort pose to celebrate the sealing of the Diploma in Education 50th Anniversary Time Capsule. 

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