Education Minister commends Moraikobai teachers for impressive work

During a visit to Moraikobai, Region Five on Tuesday to initiate the Guyana Learning channel in that community, Education Minister Priya Manickchand attended a Parent Teachers Association (PTA) meeting, at the Moraikobai Community Research Centre, where she interacted with parents and teachers.

Students of the St Francis Nursery School, Region Five

She told the gathering that, “I’m very happy to say that schools are in better shape compared to some that I have seen in Georgetown, and I’m very impressed with the level of work the teachers are doing,” she stated.

Pro to the meeting, she had toured the St Francis Nursery and the Moraikobai Primary schools, where it was observed that there was a wide variety of academic aids for which she commended the teachers, but urged more nationalistic ones.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and Region Five Chairman, Bindrabhan Bisnauth in the class room with St Francis Nursery School students

The school’s curriculum allows for students to gain knowledge of symbols of nationhood and leaders of Guyana, hence the need for such aids.

Minister Manickchand urged the teachers to ensure students become knowledgeable of their historical background.  She said that the ministry will provide the necessary informational aids for them to do so.

Teaching and mobile aids have been a major setback in schools across the country, and the Ministry has been instilling in teachers to correct this issue. The Minister noted that the ministry will be establishing a new policy that directs teachers to take heed to correct this anomaly.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand asking the students of Moraikobai the name of the national flag

The schools at Moraikobai have a 90% attendance and most of the students are mastering reading. “That means half of your work is finished, children are coming and it’s now up to you to ensure that instructions are given,” the Education Minister said.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand reading along with students

She charged them to work with the children because they are no different from the teachers in Georgetown who can produce Queen’s college students. “Make sure we put some of these kids on the scholarship programme,” she urged.

She stated that once the children can read then a lot has been accomplished. “don’t just come and teach because it’s a job and you just want to keep the children busy, think of it as something important, which you can mould the people, the children are going to become,” she urged.

Concerns

Parents raised concerns about termite infestation in the ceiling of the Moraikobai Primary School and the distribution of laptops under the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme.

The Minister said that the village’s Toshao has been given the go-ahead to rehabilitate the school ceiling immediately. However, with regards the distribution of government’s laptops, she said this is progress, but promised to look into fast forwarding the process for the community.

Concerns were also raised about the state of the passageway at the lower end of Moraikobai, which affects children getting to school during the rainy season.

Regional Chairman, Bindrabhan Bisnauth committed to providing fuel for the rest of the term so that the students can be transported to school by boat.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand in one of the classes well equipped with teaching aids

Many of the teachers at the schools are in acting positions because of the absence of programmes in their area for their upgrade which will enable them to enter the Cyril Potter College of Education CPCE).

Minister Manickchand said that there will be no entrance into CPCE without the relevant qualifications, but upgrading is possible, and the Ministry is willing to take full responsibility to have the teachers rewrite the subjects of their choice.

Some of the teachers are willing to run with the initiative.