Children at a hinterland school listening to Education Minister Priya Manickchand

 

A GINA Feature- September 15, 2014

 

The 1976 decision to transfer all responsibilities for education to the Government saw all private schools being absorbed into the public system and Government subsidising education from nursery through university.

The responsibility for the provision of education included the mandate to construct and maintain schools in various jurisdictions, whilst allocating resources among those schools plus the recruitment and paying of teachers. Government also had to ensure that schools operate according to regional and national objectives.

Children at Jawalla, Region Seven  enjoying a hot meal

However, it was gradually discovered that children were not completing their education for various reasons. These included poverty, schools located far away and various other reasons, and to meet the challenge, Government took steps to ensure that children attend and complete school.  It responded with several programmes, including providing free uniform, transportation, and hot meals and by expanding existing facilities and building new schools and dormitories, including a new secondary school and dormitory that is being built at Kato, Region Eight.

New initiatives

Maths and English Pilot project

In an effort to improve performance in the areas of Mathematics and English, a pilot project was initiated targeting 36 schools across the country. These included special training for Maths and English teachers via the non-graduate programme, workshops with subject specialists, strengthening the Maths programme at the Cyril Potter College of Education, and the institutionalisation of a remediation programme. The Ministry also ensured that the students participating in the pilot obtained the requisite resources including texts, study guides and past CSEC papers, among other things.

Some of the schools in the pilot project included Abram Zuil and Aurora, in Region 2; Stewartville, Leonora, and Zeeburg, in Region 3; Annandale, Covent Garden, and Bladen Hall, in Region 4;  East Ruimveldt, North Georgetown, Brickdam, and Richard Ishmael, in Georgetown; Bush Lot, Bygeval, and Woodley Park Primary-top, in Region 5; Tagore, New Amsterdam Multilateral, and Skeldon Line Path, in Region 6; Three Miles in Region 7; St. Ignatius, in Region 9; and Mackenzie High, Silver City, and Christianburg, in Region 10.

Rebuilt -East Street Nursery School

$10,000 per school child initiative

The $10,000 per school child initiative will be introduced in October, and is meant to provide additional support to parents with children, attending a nursery, primary, or secondary school in the public education system. The grant will aid in some form as it relates to their education, whether by serving as transportation fees or money that will be used for purchasing school items. This programme targets 188,406 families.

Revised Literacy Plan

A revised literacy plan targets the reading skills of children. This is based on the knowledge that a child’s ability to read is positively related to opportunities for academic and vocational success. The ultimate aim is to have all children able to read and learn by the end of the fourth grade.

Learning to read, and by fourth grade is a key force in determining whether a student will go on to graduate from high school, attend and graduate from college and achieve future success in the work force. It is important to note that not only does grade level reading have a significant impact on a student’s educational career, it has broader ramifications for their economic livelihood in an increasingly competitive economic environment.

HEIP

The launch of the Hinterland Education Improvement Project (HEIP) has seen the Ministry seeking ways in which to improve the results of education in the various regions. This is being done through consultations which would enable residents to tell of their needs and suggestions to improve the sector in the hinterland regions.

Investments by government saw a significant increase in the number of schools in the hinterland. In 1994, fourteen nursery schools in the hinterland increased to 116 in 2014, primary schools moved from 111 to 139 and secondary from 5 to 12.

Other initiatives

School feeding

In February, 2010 the Government commenced its National School Feeding Programme that targets all Nursery and Primary Schools and has been implemented in Regions 1, 2,3,4,5,6,10. The programme consists of biscuits and juices, which are both locally made.

Additionally, the hot meal initiative is implemented in the hinterland communities of Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9. Schools in communities such as Annai, Karasabai, Aranaputa and St. Ignatius, receive a daily nutritious snack of cassava bread, peanut butter and fruit juice.  After its success, the hot meal project was later implemented.

The programme was developed since it was recognised that the students travel long distances to attend school which in some cases was costly and resulted in low attendance rates and increasing school dropouts.

Since its implementation there have been improved responses from students in terms of attendance and retention and this has been attested to by the World Bank.

     Representatives of several Region Seven districts  receive school uniform material

School uniform programme

The provision of school uniform vouchers to children residing on the coastland and in riverain communities along with the provision of uniform materials to hinterland communities is also another means by Government to provide assistance to parents to ensure that children attend school and complete their education. The School Uniform Programme ensures one school uniform is given to every child attending a school in the public education system from nursery to Grade 11.

The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs is responsible for the programme in the hinterland and it procures school uniform material which is distributed to communities in Regions 1, 7, 8, and 9. This programme has positively influenced school attendance and performance in the Hinterland.  This programme also creates job opportunities for residents of hinterland areas. The women are given the task of sewing the uniforms for the various schools, for which they are paid.

Free text and exercise books

All students receive the relevant exercise books to record their work in school. Additionally free textbooks are allocated to students of all stages. This precludes the need for parents to purchase the expensive items. However, whilst there is appreciation for the move by the administration to do this, there are still some concerns about the return of the books by students who have finished with them. Nevertheless, this is being examined by the Education Ministry and steps are being taken to address the issue.

Source -- http://74.220.215.210/~ginagov...g-children-in-school