Govt. to build more secondary schools – Education Minister

Nov 17, 2022 News --- Source --- https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...-education-minister/

Kaieteur News – With plans on achieving a universal secondary education for all children in Guyana, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on Monday announced that the Government is looking to build new secondary schools across the country.

The Minister at a sod-turning ceremony on Monday stated that the Government is trying to move away from “primary tops” and have students properly enroll in secondary schools to obtain their secondary education.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand (Photo credit: Ministry of Education)

“Our intention is that we would achieve universal secondary education in this first term. What is universal secondary education?  It means universally all over this country every child must be able to access a seat in a secondary school to complete their secondary education. And even as we work on achieving universal secondary education; that is giving every Guyanese child access,” the Minister said.

In revealing the plans for more schools, Minister Manickchand announced that in Region One, works are in progress to build two new secondary schools in that region. “The one that was burnt by arson, as well as another school at Hosororo,” she stated.

As it relates to Region Two, works are currently ongoing to complete the Abram Zuil Secondary School, as well as to build dormitories, so that children from the Charity and Pomeroon areas could be accommodated.

In Region Three, the Minister said that the Government will build a brand new secondary school at Tushcen on the West Coast of Demerara as well as one at the West Bank/ Vreed-en-Hoop area.

In Region Four, she revealed that works are ongoing to complete the Yarrowkabra Secondary School. On the East Bank of Demerara, preparatory works are being done to begin the construction of the World-Bank funded, Prospect Secondary School, and to complete the Good Hope School.

In the Georgetown area, the Ministry is looking to put down a brand new school at Turkeyen, to accommodate some 800 to 1000 students. They are also plans to rebuild the St. George’s School which was recently destroyed by fire, as well as, the St. Mary’s Secondary School.

According to the Minister, in Region Five, there are plans to create more dorm spaces for children coming from riverain areas and in Region Six, there are also plans to put build a brand new secondary school at Orealla along with a dorm to take care of Orealla and Siparuta students.

In Region Seven at the Upper Mazaruni area, they are going to build a brand new school to “take off the overcrowding of the DC Caesar Fox Secondary as well cater for those children in primary tops.”

As it relates to Region Eight, the Education Minister mentioned that they are going to extend the Paramakatoi and the Kato dorms, as well as build a new secondary school with additional dorms. In Region Nine, she said, there are plans to build a secondary school at Karasabai as well as one at the Awarewaunau/ Shea area.  In Region 10, they are going to rehabilitate the schools there.

The Ministry of Education has already issued tenders for some of the schools mentioned. The Minister on revealing the areas where schools will be built said, “So I hope you see that any of us can stand and tell you how we will bring in universal secondary education. It’s not a dream lock down somewhere in our heads; it’s something we are working feverishly towards.”

On Monday too, the Minister hinted that the Education Ministry is currently exploring a reform type of placement at National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) level. She explained that it “can’t happen now, when we get all our schools in place those that I just named for you,…and there is a secondary school that is available to every child, then the NGSA can serve the purpose to say children who are extremely gifted are offered places at the national schools, then the regional schools, then everybody goes to a school close to your home.”

When asked on the sidelines about the funding for these upcoming projects, she added some of the projects will be funded locally, while others would be funded through various International Financial Institutes.

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300 teachers to benefit from CPCE Region Three branch

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand joined by the Principal of CPCE Noella Joseph and other Government officials during the ribbon cutting to open the facility  (Photo: News Room/November, 18, 2022)

Considering the need for better access and accommodation for teachers to train in Region Three, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand on Friday commissioned a new building of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara.

The new facility is now housed at the Ministry of Education’s Divisional Centre and will cater to the needs of some 300 teachers. Prior to this centre, the programme was facilitated at Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School.

This new facility is also a response to the Ministry’s call for all teachers to be enrolled at the college and become 100 per cent trained.

Giving the feature address at the ceremony, Manickchand said teachers are important and valuable assets to any nation; therefore the training they receive must be of the best possible.

“For me, teaching is the noblest profession you can find. And it’s the most important profession. It sounds cliché but it is the profession where you could either make people or break people. You could either change the trajectory of families and their acquisitions of wealth or you could keep them in poverty,” she said.

Manickchand also encouraged the teachers who will benefit from the facility to make great use of the opportunities available. The Minister also told the teachers that they must want to be in the classroom and teach the children of the nation when they register for these programmes otherwise they are doing a disservice to themselves and the classrooms they enter.

Teachers who will be using the new CPCE at Region Three  (Photo: News Room/November, 18, 2022)

She said the government understands the need to have fully functioning facilities for teachers to learn in order to provide the best services in the classrooms. “We’re giving you a place to come and be the best you can to try learning and making yourself develop. We’re trying to make sure you get the best quality education.”

In addition, Manickchand said there will be greater emphasis on the quality of learning offered at CPCE. She said the College will undergo massive changes to hold teachers and lecturers accountable. This is a change that may or may not be welcomed with open arms but it is a move that the Ministry has to proceed with in order to raise the quality of service offered at CPCE, the Minister explained.

The Regional Chairman, Sheik Ayube, was also in attendance and he advised that the teachers challenge themselves to improve the lives of each student they teach.

Principal of the college, Noella Joseph said the ministry’s efforts to reach all teachers has been greatly achieved although the COVID-19 pandemic caused setbacks.

The College has expanded massively with the hybrid format taken during the pandemic. The decision to take programmes online increased the number of enrollments seen at the college.

For teachers: 100 duty-free concessions, UG scholarships among other benefits

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand (centre) with teachers at the launch of the Teachers’ and Welfare Support Programme at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (Photo: Ministry of Education)

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand has announced that some 100 teachers will receive duty-free concessions soon while scholarships will be extended to teachers who want to attend the University of Guyana.

“We are offering to teachers more than just the salary, uniform allowance, scholarships to go to the University of Guyana. They are non-salary benefits that we hope can add to the package,” Manickchand said.

These scholarships will be directly from the government. However, she also noted that more than 100 teachers are currently being trained under the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).

While making the announcement, the minister also warned the teachers that they are therefore being held accountable for properly educating the children of the country.

Notably, the Minister said that more persons are applying to become teachers with the largest batch of trained teachers to graduate from the Cyril Potter College of Education in January. This was possible through the hybrid format, which saw participants undergo classes both in person and online.