THE PARTNERSHIP WILL ENHANCE PROGRAM QUALITY AND ENSURE CONSISTENCY WITH AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS.

The Sir Arthur Lewis Community College has signed off on a partnership with the College of Education at Niagara University in the United States.

The partnership intends to offer expertise, resources and support to help enhance and transform the quality of the SALCC programs and assist in the professional development of teachers and educational leaders to ensure they are consistent with national, regional and international standards.

Dean of the Division of Teacher Education and Educational Administration at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, Dr. Anthony Felicien, said this is part of collaborative agreements that the Division has been engaged in over the last five years.

“The first being with Seneca College in Canada in the area of Early Childhood Education and Development. This time the division is looking at fostering a collaborative arrangement agreement with Niagara University whose strong point is in Educational Leadership. In an era when we are concerned about the quality of education, we feel that it is quite opportune.”

The Chair of the Board of the Directors of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, John Calixte, pledged the support of the College, the Ministry of Education, and the Government of Saint Lucia, and endorsed the partnership between the college and Niagara University.

“Education continues to remain a priority for this government particularly the training of our educators as we embark upon revolutionizing our education system to respond to the emergent needs of this generation. Relationships such as these will help diversify our offering and better prepare our population for the global stage.”

Assistant Professor at Niagara University, Dr. Patricia Briscoe, said the two institutions will learn from each other.

“This partnership is important not only for the Saint Lucian economy and the country, but also for us to learn from you. Everybody learns from each other and I think that’s a very good approach to our partnership.”

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on April 29.