The Tribune

THE Ministry of Education officially launched the National Education Good Practice (NEGP) Awards yesterday, an award system that promotes excellence in education.

The awards will be given in 2017. The system is patterned after the Commonwealth Good Practice Awards and is intended to promote and celebrate educators and education stakeholders who demonstrate best practices.

During a ceremony in the foyer of the ministry’s headquarters, Jerome Fitzgerald, minister of education, said the NEGP Awards will have a “multifunctional” purpose that will not only highlight what is taking place in education locally, but will help to prepare educators and stakeholders for submission to the Commonwealth Good Practice Awards in 2018.

“To celebrate the contributions of Bahamian educators, the awards will be named in honour of pioneers in the field of education,” he said. “As we would have had the honour of hosting the 19CCEM in 2015; next year, the government of the Bahamas through the Ministry of Education will host the 9th International American Meeting of Education Ministers, which will take place here in the Bahamas in February 2017. As a part of the pre-conference events of this meeting, the first National Education Good Practice Awards ceremony takes place to coincide with next year’s conference.”

Minister Fitzgerald appealed to schools and organisations that have made a positive impact on primary and secondary students, their teachers or the education system to make submissions for the 2017 National Education Good Practice Awards.

Prizes will be given to the three top winners of the awards.

A National Education Good Practice Award Secretariat has been established and will have complete oversight and responsibility for National Education Good Practice Awards.