Education Ministry hopes to have 5000 students sit IT at CSEC
Written by
Tuesday, 25 October 2011 02:39
Source - Guyana Chronicle
Teachers at the two-day training workshop at NCERD.
GUYANA has been recognized by its Caribbean neighbours for its outstanding performance in the education sector, and specifically in Information Technology (IT).
This country has taken the leading position in IT with a pass rate of 97 per cent, as compared to an 80 per cent overall pass rate for the rest of the Caribbean region.
This is according to Education Minister, Shaik Baksh, who was addressing the opening of an information technology workshop for teachers at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development in Kingston, Georgetown.
Education Minister Shaik Baksh addressing teachers at the opening of the two-day IT workshop for teachers at NCERD.
Baksh said the Education Ministry will be taking a more complex approach in ICT to further enhance the country’s education sector in this regard. He noted that it is not just about having computers in schools, but also ensuring that persons are computer literate.
“While many countries have computers in their schools, this is not (our) main objective. The objectives (are) the uses of the computers, and to ensure that persons (are) capable of using the computers,” he said.
The minister said the aim is to train some 100 teachers countrywide through a two-day ICT workshop designed for teachers’ enhancement in this regard. Thus the development of students in this area is vital.
He said the workshop plays a significant role in development of information and communication technology (ICT), and if enough emphasis is not placed on the area targeted, the ministry’s goal would be greatly affected, thus frustrating the Education Ministry’s vision for that sector.
Baksh underscored that no time will be wasted, nor will Guyana be left behind in Information Communication Technology (ICT), given that it plays a key role in the education sector.
“We have competitiveness here in Guyana. Guyana must not be left behind, the education sector is moving very (quickly),” he outlined.
Baksh also pointed out that the Education Ministry has already commenced works related to ICT. However, more strategies will be implemented to work through the challenges that may come with the further development of ICT in Guyana.
“ICT is critical in education for Guyana. It is key in the sector, and unless we get it right, it can affect the outcome of our vision…we have to ensure that there is a large number of students coming out on top in this area,” Baksh said.
He said that educators must play a critical role in ensuring that the ministry’s ICT goal is achieved if there is to be a paradigm shift in this area in the country, ushering in transformation.
“We are leading in teachers’ training; and at the end of the day, these are all strategies that we will be working with to achieve our goals,” he said.
Additionally, he announced that over the last two years, there has been the establishment of an ICT Professional Development Strategy, which is currently being used by the ministry as a guideline for planning and progression in ICT development.
He said the ICT drive is a new philosophy to learning, and it is a part of the ministry’s plan to help children to evaluate themselves. “It is a way of thinking, and we will ensure critical thinking is achieved. ICT is not only about software, but it should be able to give children the opportunity to think and work at a higher level,” he explained.
He noted that everything will be done to ensure that children are given the opportunity of starting off early in the area of information technology in the school year, so as to make works easier in the long run.
“It’s not about the redesigning of the curriculum, but it is the fact that once these strategies are implemented, students and teachers will come out with a different mindset”, Baksh explained.
He said that Guyana is at the stage when its people should move away from content and focus more on what is best in this 21st century era.
Just for the purpose of IT enhancement, the minister announced he would ensure that every IT teacher is given a laptop to work with, thus making their jobs easier in some ways.
“I will ensure that the necessary investment is (undertaken). We are advancing computer literacy, and already the government has committed to this,” he said.
The minister said he hopes to have some 5000 students sitting the ICT at the CSEC examinations, as opposed to 2000 in recent times.
He said he is aware that this cannot be achieved without the necessary resources in the schools, but he will ensure this is achieved through the pathway that his ministry has designed.
He said that an assessment is currently being carried out to determine by how much literacy has advanced in Guyana, and to identify areas of weakness, which will be worked upon.
“The computer can be a good tool in advancing literacy and numeracy... The computer should be put to use, and this is one of the challenges… we have to constantly evaluate to ensure that learning is improved, and with it our society,” Baksh emphasised.
“As we move through the 21st century, we need to be up-to-date with the transformation. Some of you may not realise it, but we do have an ICT Development Strategy which was developed in 2006, (and) we have been working with (it),” he noted.
He said that advancements have been made even at the technical institutions. “And I have mandated that they should have computer labs in all these institutions,” he highlighted.
The minister urged teachers to be agents of ICT. “Even if you meet resistance points in some cases, you have to push forward to ensure schools are in tune with the ICT drive.”
Additionally, he pointed out that the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) initiative would be rolled out in the coming month, and it will see thousands of families benefiting.
He said the OLPF plays an integral part in the ICT drive, since work has been initiated to have this initiative integrated in the ICT programme.
ICT is one area aggressively pursued over the last five years to set the stage for the next five years. The PPP/Civic Government plans to improve the environment for doing business through the use of information communication technology, along with administrative and institutional reforms, with special emphasis on reducing the cost and improving the ease with which the business community can execute transactions with government agencies.
Written by
Tuesday, 25 October 2011 02:39
Source - Guyana Chronicle
Teachers at the two-day training workshop at NCERD.GUYANA has been recognized by its Caribbean neighbours for its outstanding performance in the education sector, and specifically in Information Technology (IT).
This country has taken the leading position in IT with a pass rate of 97 per cent, as compared to an 80 per cent overall pass rate for the rest of the Caribbean region.
This is according to Education Minister, Shaik Baksh, who was addressing the opening of an information technology workshop for teachers at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development in Kingston, Georgetown.
Education Minister Shaik Baksh addressing teachers at the opening of the two-day IT workshop for teachers at NCERD.Baksh said the Education Ministry will be taking a more complex approach in ICT to further enhance the country’s education sector in this regard. He noted that it is not just about having computers in schools, but also ensuring that persons are computer literate.
“While many countries have computers in their schools, this is not (our) main objective. The objectives (are) the uses of the computers, and to ensure that persons (are) capable of using the computers,” he said.
The minister said the aim is to train some 100 teachers countrywide through a two-day ICT workshop designed for teachers’ enhancement in this regard. Thus the development of students in this area is vital.
He said the workshop plays a significant role in development of information and communication technology (ICT), and if enough emphasis is not placed on the area targeted, the ministry’s goal would be greatly affected, thus frustrating the Education Ministry’s vision for that sector.
Baksh underscored that no time will be wasted, nor will Guyana be left behind in Information Communication Technology (ICT), given that it plays a key role in the education sector.
“We have competitiveness here in Guyana. Guyana must not be left behind, the education sector is moving very (quickly),” he outlined.
Baksh also pointed out that the Education Ministry has already commenced works related to ICT. However, more strategies will be implemented to work through the challenges that may come with the further development of ICT in Guyana.
“ICT is critical in education for Guyana. It is key in the sector, and unless we get it right, it can affect the outcome of our vision…we have to ensure that there is a large number of students coming out on top in this area,” Baksh said.
He said that educators must play a critical role in ensuring that the ministry’s ICT goal is achieved if there is to be a paradigm shift in this area in the country, ushering in transformation.
“We are leading in teachers’ training; and at the end of the day, these are all strategies that we will be working with to achieve our goals,” he said.
Additionally, he announced that over the last two years, there has been the establishment of an ICT Professional Development Strategy, which is currently being used by the ministry as a guideline for planning and progression in ICT development.
He said the ICT drive is a new philosophy to learning, and it is a part of the ministry’s plan to help children to evaluate themselves. “It is a way of thinking, and we will ensure critical thinking is achieved. ICT is not only about software, but it should be able to give children the opportunity to think and work at a higher level,” he explained.
He noted that everything will be done to ensure that children are given the opportunity of starting off early in the area of information technology in the school year, so as to make works easier in the long run.
“It’s not about the redesigning of the curriculum, but it is the fact that once these strategies are implemented, students and teachers will come out with a different mindset”, Baksh explained.
He said that Guyana is at the stage when its people should move away from content and focus more on what is best in this 21st century era.
Just for the purpose of IT enhancement, the minister announced he would ensure that every IT teacher is given a laptop to work with, thus making their jobs easier in some ways.
“I will ensure that the necessary investment is (undertaken). We are advancing computer literacy, and already the government has committed to this,” he said.
The minister said he hopes to have some 5000 students sitting the ICT at the CSEC examinations, as opposed to 2000 in recent times.
He said he is aware that this cannot be achieved without the necessary resources in the schools, but he will ensure this is achieved through the pathway that his ministry has designed.
He said that an assessment is currently being carried out to determine by how much literacy has advanced in Guyana, and to identify areas of weakness, which will be worked upon.
“The computer can be a good tool in advancing literacy and numeracy... The computer should be put to use, and this is one of the challenges… we have to constantly evaluate to ensure that learning is improved, and with it our society,” Baksh emphasised.
“As we move through the 21st century, we need to be up-to-date with the transformation. Some of you may not realise it, but we do have an ICT Development Strategy which was developed in 2006, (and) we have been working with (it),” he noted.
He said that advancements have been made even at the technical institutions. “And I have mandated that they should have computer labs in all these institutions,” he highlighted.
The minister urged teachers to be agents of ICT. “Even if you meet resistance points in some cases, you have to push forward to ensure schools are in tune with the ICT drive.”
Additionally, he pointed out that the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) initiative would be rolled out in the coming month, and it will see thousands of families benefiting.
He said the OLPF plays an integral part in the ICT drive, since work has been initiated to have this initiative integrated in the ICT programme.
ICT is one area aggressively pursued over the last five years to set the stage for the next five years. The PPP/Civic Government plans to improve the environment for doing business through the use of information communication technology, along with administrative and institutional reforms, with special emphasis on reducing the cost and improving the ease with which the business community can execute transactions with government agencies.