With almost 30 years of experience in the field of education, Robert Guiste has been is now acting Assistant Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and National Excellence.
Notably, Guiste attended Teachers Training college in Dominica and emerged valedictorian of his graduating class. He later attended the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus in Barbados where he obtained a Bachelors degree in Educational Measurement. With his deep desire to achieve more, from 2002 to 2005, he went on to pursue a Masters degree in Education at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus in Jamaica.
Moreover, with a growing intellect and a wealth of qualifications, he was appointed as Education Officer for Measurement and Evaluation followed by Senior Education Officer for Curriculum, Measurement and Evaluation from April 2015-July 2022. During his tenure he served as National Focal Points for the OECS/USAID Early Learners Programme, OECS/GPE Curriculum and Assessment, and the focal point for the Curriculum and Assessment component of the OECS PEARL. He was also a part-time lecturer for Educational Media and Technology at the Dominica State College-faculty of Education.
Upon interview with Emonews, Guiste expressed that he has been marinating in the field of education for almost thirty years. “I still love every minute of it. It happened almost by accident but I have no regrets,” he voiced. He went on to add that his intention was merely to teach for the duration of one year then move on to achieve his main goals. However, life had other plans.
According to him, his career and passion started as a primary school teacher at the Roseau Boys’ school in 1993, a school which he attended as a child growing up in Roseau. “During the first interview with then Principal, Mrs. Isaline Titre, I was shocked at her comment – “Mr. Guiste, I am giving you a class to handle for me”. That was the form 3 class of the Junior Secondary Programme (JSP), so you can imagine how I felt as a new teacher,” he stated. Nonetheless, he went on to have a lasting impact as a teacher as he helped to develop most of his students, especially those who were successful at the JSP exams.
Guiste pointed out that the challenges faced by young men, both through academics and family life, were some of the reasons that he felt that he had the responsibility to make a difference, especially after the success he encountered with his first group of students. “With mentors like Sir Luther, Mrs. Sarah JnoBaptiste, Mrs. Eunice Thomas and especially, Mrs. Isaline Titre – the principal, who still looks out for me today, I felt that I could do even more. Some of the students that I taught – Mr. Benji, Shayne Shillingford, Damien Boghart, and I could go on and on, still look up to me today and I look up to some of them too. I blame some of my past students for having me in Education though. Some of them even called me daddy,” he said reminiscently. This to him is what glued him to education.
When asked how he felt after being appointed as the Assistant Chief Education Officer, Guiste responded that the news came to him as surprise. “We all strive for better at what we do so I knew that I would have wanted to get to that position eventually and expressed my interest in doing so but I was elated when I got the news. Elated, yet anxious because I would be replacing Dr. Blaize who left some huge shoes to be filled,” he articulated.
Interestingly, Guiste communicated that he is aware that there may be challenges going into the new position. “With every new position in any institution, there will always be challenges to be faced. However, being in education for practically my entire life, and working with a lot of different personalities, I stand ready and willing to face any challenges which may come my way,” he stated confidently. Guiste went on to say that with his support team, both at work and at home, he is optimistic that they will assist him to overcome his challenges, through and with God.
As per Guiste, he has not yet set all the goals for this new role since he is still learning the functions. “However, my first role is to get us, the whole of Dominica, to begin to REIMAGINE EDUCATION. This is the theme that we will be rolling out into the new school year with,” he voiced. He added, “I want ‘US’ to aim to improve the achievements of students, not only academically but in all areas – skills, social, emotional life etc. I aim to foster greater relationships between schools and parents and have parents play a greater part in the life of their schools. I also aim to begin to close the gender gap between male and female students. I aim to get teachers to really LOVE their jobs.”
According to him, the Ministry of Education has been doing a lot of work has been going unnoticed for a long time. Therefore, he aims to bring the Ministry of Education out to the public and bring the public into the Ministry of Education.
In an effort to make his goal clear, Guiste voiced that he aims to let the public reimagine education to the point where the theme, “EVERY CHILD SUCCEEDS” will be relived and revived.
