Education sector improving as a direct result of gov’t’s policies - President
Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA February 28, 2015, Source - GINA
The attainment of full nursery and primary education in Guyana is just one of many goals achieved over the last two decades by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC). For President Donald Ramotar, this is an important step towards Guyana’s resurgence as a “regional high-flyer” in terms of education.
Guyanese students who copped top CSEC awards for the Caribbean in 201`4: (l to r) Most Outstanding Student in Technical and Vocational Education, Kishan Critchlow, Most Outstanding Award for Humanities, Aliyyah Abdul Kadir; Most Outstanding Candidate overall, Elisa Hamilton, and Most Outstanding Student in Business Award, Ryhan Chand
These two achievements are as a direct result of government’s aim of ensuring that the nation’s youth become equipped to better their lives in the future.
In an invited comment, recently the president said the gains at the nursery level are not often highlighted. “I think it is extremely important in the competitive world that we live in today where we have science and technology, and education playing a bigger and bigger role in countries’ economic development.”
He added, “If we give our children an early start, we give them an advantage to get along in their own personal lives, and it is an investment in our country’s future as we know they will be the driving force for our development as we move forward”.
The 85% enrollment level at the nursery level was described by President Ramotar as one of the best in the developing world and not just the Caribbean.
The last two decades have seen the construction of 10 new nursery schools across the various regions of Guyana. Where the number of children did not warrant the building of new facilities, the nursery sections of several primary schools have been implemented or expanded, and according the president, “We are aiming to have full literacy by Grade 4”.
The improvement in the local education sector has coincided with a corresponding improvement in the performance of students, across the board. The last decade, in particular has seen local students sweeping the regional education awards due their outstanding performances. Unlike years past, government’s policy of ensuring that all schools have access to the same facilities and opportunities have resulted in students from not only the recognised “top schools” in Georgetown doing well, as students from Anna Regina, Essequibo, Berbice and several other communities have now joined their counterparts in performing admirably in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).
Another result of government’s policies has been the lower levels of dropout rates. This has been the focus of a study by the World Bank which noted that the reduction of poverty through Guyana’s economic development has “empowered more parents to send their children to school, feed them, clothe them, transport them and additionally not need them to work early to help out financially at home”.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has conducted its own studies which show similar trends.
With education attracting an average of 15% of the National Budget, the Education Ministry has been able put many measures in place to positively affect education across the board. In addition to constructing and or renovating about 1000 schools across the country, along with dormitories, laboratories, providing transportation where necessary, feeding programme, uniform allowance and its latest “Because we care” $10,000 grant, more youths than ever are taking advantage of the opportunities being provided to equip themselves for their future and that of the nation.
