The Cook Islands Teacher Development Centre officially opened yesterday and welcomed 15 new members and aspiring teachers of its first cohort, with one recruited from overseas.

Led by the former principal of Tereora College, Mona Ngaau, the centre will be managed by approximately 16 trainees who are all qualified, according to the Secretary of Education, Owen Lewis.

If they complete and pass the training, the trainees will receive a teaching degree. Like all university students, they have a certain number of papers to write, as well as teaching components incorporated into the degree programme.

For practical purposes, they will do two days a week in the schools and will have mentor teachers who are already registered. The remaining three days will be spent at the centre.

According to Lewis, there are about four to five students lined up for the next year. These students will do some work this year, as they didn't meet the entry-level requirements, before they become part of next year’s recruitment drive.

“(I’m ) kind of relieved actually because we've been planning this for all of last year, well halfway through last year when Tania (Morgan) and I went to New Zealand to look for partners and Waikato University have been helping with us and getting this off the ground,” he told Cook Islands News.

“Hopefully we get 16 through at the end and hopefully 16 stay after that. But you never know, so we’re going in with our eyes open.”

Minister for Education, Vaine “Mac” Mokoroa and Education Secretary Owen Lewis officially open the doors of the new training centre. 25013009

Lewis added that this is the approach they want to take to ensure they can control recruitment a little better, as “it’s out of our hands at the moment”.

“We don’t have teachers. So let’s develop them and take it back into our own hands to develop them,” he added.

Ngaau encouraged the aspiring teachers, reminding them that by choosing a career in teaching, they were committing themselves to the noblest of professions.

“The power you will hold, not in the form of authority, but in your ability to inspire, guide, and mold future generations is unmatched,” she said.

“For those of you beginning your training, the centre will be your home for the next few years. You will spend time here engaging in coursework, learning the latest teaching strategies, and growing as professionals.

“At the same time, you will gain real-world experience in our schools, learning directly from experienced mentors.”

Ngaau also acknowledged the Ministry and its leaders for the vision that drove the success of this milestone.

The official opening of the centre held at the National Sports Arena was attended by the government officials and diplomatic corps members, before the blessing of the building located upstairs at Tereora College main building.

Professor Clair McLachlan, vice chancellor of education for the University of Waikato, presented each teacher trainees with shell eis as they embarked on this new journey.