Education professionals from Martinique to start an Immersion Programme in St. Lucia
OECS Media Release
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 — A delegation of education professionals from the Superior School of Teaching and Education of Martinique (ESPE (Ecole Supérieure du Professorat et de l’Education) have started a two week Immersion Programme in St. Lucia. The bilateral project is being implemented for the first time between St. Lucia and Martinique.
Students teachers from ESPE will be immersed in different St. Lucian schools starting this week. This project is part of the first Martinique - St. Lucia Immersion Programme targeting education professionals.
The Program will involve comparative research on the education systems and teaching practices between both territories. The project arose from a close collaboration undertaken by the OECS, the Academy of Martinique and ESPE. It forms part of the global objective of the OECS Commission to improve education standards within the Eastern Caribbean.
OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules highlighted the continuing efforts being made to deepen ties with Martinique and other English speaking territories especially through education.
"Our Creole heritage facilitates the exchange between Martinique, St. Lucia and Dominica.
"We are aiming to foster an environment of further foreign language teacher exchanges between OECS Member States.
"To complement teacher exchanges, we are now looking at structuring a more regular programme across the OECS” said Dr. Jules.
The delegation's official visit ended with an address by the Commissioner of the Martinique's Authority H.E Murielle Lesales. She underlined the importance of making concrete and positive changes to the lives of OECS citizens through the development of such programmes.
“Martinique has been warmly welcomed as an associate member of the OECS....but I must say that we also really appreciate all the efforts that are made on a daily basis to make us feel as a full member of the OECS family. Today that’s how we feel. She stated.
Sisera Simon, Head of Education Development Unit at the OECS, Ghislaine Moetus-Schuller, Educative Cooperation Officer at the Academy of Martinique and Anousha Dubois International Officer at ESPE whose respective organisations contributed to the implementation of the programme shared their views in the video below.