A group of primary and middle school teachers have earned international certification through a pilot programme organised by the Ministry of Education.A Ministry spokeswoman said that 21 teachers underwent the Cambridge International Certification for Teachers and Training programme this summer, with 20 passing and six receiving Distinction grades.Among the teachers earning distinction were Andrea Hassel of Whitney Institute, Rosheene Hudson of Paget Primary and Lisa Siese of Somerset Primary.“The demands of the certificate are considerable and it requires teachers to attend courses outside of the school day,” a Ministry spokeswoman said. “Because of the testimonies of the candidates and observations of some principals, other teachers have expressed interest.“A few principals have already suggested the certificate to their teachers in an effort to encourage them to extend their knowledge and skills and a few of the first cohort are requesting that we now offer the diploma programme.”The certification is a practice-based qualification for continued professional development intended to encourage participants to refresh their approach to teaching and learning.It consists of ten weeks of planned content sessions, followed by four to six weeks of practical work. The training was carried out locally, but the final results were judged by Cambridge.Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith said she was delighted by the results, describing the programme as “comprehensive, rigorous and innovative.”“Our teachers persevered through studies while teaching the first year of the Cambridge curriculum,” she said. “They were able to meet the deadlines and work within the confines of a meticulous and disciplined certificate programme, and we are tremendously pleased with the outcome.”