–through blended learning approach for educators that combines theory with practice, national priorities with local solutions, Minister Parag says

THE Ministry of Education on Monday officially launched the National Education Leadership Academy (NELA) as part of a major step towards strengthening leadership across Guyana’s education system.
The academy was launched in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO) during a ceremony at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre.
Minister of Education Sonia Parag, during her address at the launch, described the academy as a “flagship programme”, and underscored its importance within the government’s wider education reform agenda.
She noted that this initiative is linked to other recent developments in the sector, including the launch of the Guyana Digital School, which, she said, reflected a long-standing national vision for education transformation.

Parag noted that the establishment of NELA was rooted in the belief that education systems are shaped not only by infrastructure and technology, but also by the people who lead them.
“Today is more than the launch of a new programme; it is the affirmation of a national belief that education transforms lives, that leadership shapes systems, and that the future of Guyana is built quite deliberately in our classrooms and schools,” she said.

Part of the first cohort of the NELA programme during its launch on Monday (Delano Williams photos)

According to the minister, the Ministry of Education’s current strategic plan sets out a clear direction for providing quality, equitable education and lifelong learning for all, while recognising that strong leadership is essential to sustaining reform.
As such, she noted that “strong education systems are not sustained by policy alone”.
“They are sustained by leaders who inspire teachers who believe in the potential of every child who confronts inequity with courage, and who turn vision into action,” Parag said.
She went on to say that leadership serves as a bridge between national aspirations and the daily reality of teaching and learning.
It is this bridge, she said, that the National Education Leadership Academy has been designed to strengthen.
The Academy is intended to build capacity among school leaders, district leaders, and instructional leaders who play a central role in translating policy into practice and ensuring reforms reach classrooms across the country.
Parag said the academy represents a statement of confidence in Guyana’s educators and administrators, and an investment in those who stand at the heart of the country’s education system.
The first cohort of participants of about 100 educators will undertake an intensive 18-month programme, described as both ambitious and transformative.
According to the minister, the programme will use a blended learning approach that combines theory with practice, reflection with action, and national priorities with local solutions.
These participants will be expected not only to study leadership, but also to apply it through practical projects aimed at improving schools and districts. These projects will be supported by mentoring and grounded in evidence.
“This is leadership with purpose, leadership that is ethical and inclusive, leadership that values collaboration, accountability,” Parag said.
Minister Parag highlighted the importance of partnership, noting that it is an essential part of national development, and that such a collaboration for the academy is a demonstration of that.
“This particular project is a demonstration of our continued partnership with the IDB, with UNESCO, and with other partners in ensuring that we strengthen the core of our nation, which is education,” she said.
The Education Minister expressed gratitude to the partners, and added that their involvement affirms Guyana’s commitment to excellence.
The academy opened with a two-day onboarding workshop set to conclude today, with several other courses set to take place during the 18-month duration of the programme.