KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The revised standards for teacher education being undertaken by the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) should be available by October of this year.

This was disclosed by Director, University Council of Jamaica (UCJ), Althea Heron, at the opening of the two-day Teachers’ Colleges of Jamaica annual Professional Development Workshop being held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston from August 29 to 30.

Heron said the revised document is expected to reflect many of the changes that are taking place within the profession, and urged the participants to obtain a copy once it is published.

“This (document) will continue to serve as a guide to institutions in the development of teacher-education programmes at the bachelor’s degree level, delivered face-to-face or via distant-learning modes of instruction,” she added.

Heron said teachers are a crucial part of the Jamaican workforce and continue to be central to the training and education of the wider workforce.

“The new teacher educator will not only need to be tech-savvy and up to date with the latest apps, but also… mindful of their own need for continuous professional development in order to maintain a high standard of teaching that improves student learning outcomes,” she said.

Established in October, 1987 by the University Council of Jamaica Act, the UCJ is a statutory body currently under the portfolio of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

The UCJ is the national Quality Assurance Agency for tertiary education in the country. Its mission is to increase the availability of tertiary-level training in the island through a robust quality-assurance system that ensures excellence, transparency, integrity and adherence to standards.

The Teachers’ Colleges of Jamaica is committed to developing a cadre of teachers with knowledge, skills, attitudes and dispositions that meet the needs of Jamaica’s education system.

The workshop is being hosted in collaboration with the Joint Board of Teacher Education.