Education system must prepare students for competitive world – President - at Education Month rally

Georgetown, GINA, September 7, 2012 -- Source - GINA

Although pleased with the unprecedentedly high performance from school across the country at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC), with a few shortfalls in the core subjects, President Donald Ramotar believes the education system must be tailored to prepare students for the competitive world.

Speaking to a large group of students and teachers who gathered in the auditorium of Queen’s College after participating in a walk from Parade Ground, Middle Street, which was led by Education Minister Priya Manickchand with students drawn from about a dozen city schools, both primary and secondary, President Ramotar urged all stakeholders in the education system to prioritise focus on lifting the quality of education to a level where the nation’s youths can compete with others internationally.

Students of Queen’s College performing the poem ‘Fingers Paintings and Crayons’ during the Education Month Rally at Queen’s College auditorium

“This is a time you must study to develop yourself and your community… We need to train workers for the future, people who would be capable of understanding some of the… many complexities that we have to deal with in today’s world,” President Ramotar said.

A month-long science fair at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall organised through a partnership of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and India’s National Council of Science Museums, seeks to supplement efforts to stimulate interest in the sciences.

President Donald Ramotar speaking at the Education Month Rally at Queen’s College

President Ramotar told students at today’s rally that science and technology is playing a more dominant role in daily life and assured that the budgetary allocation to the education sector will accrue yearly.

“I urge you to take advantage of whatever we have to offer and we will try every year to increase the spending of education because of its importance according to how our economy can grow… we think there is a direct link between education and social and economic development.

A section of the gathering of students, teachers and Ministry of Education officials at the Education Month Rally at Queen’s College

A large portion of the national budget has over the years been dedicated to the social sector, with priority going to education. With improved performances at the Caribbean Secondary Examination council over the years, the President is pleased that his government’s investment in the sector is paying off.

Education as a percentage of the National Budget has risen from 4.4 percent in 1990, to an average of 15 percent over the last seven years. The, $24.3B allocation in 2011 was spent on construction and rehabilitation of schools, equipping ICT labs and acquisition of text books. The 2012 allocation is $26.6B.

Students of North Georgetown Primary performing a steel pan rendition at the Education Month Rally

“You would notice now that whenever the results come out from any examination and you start to look at the schools the students are coming from, you will see a much greater spread now taking place,” President Ramotar said.

Guyana achieved an overall CSEC pass rate of 80.3% in Grades 1 to 4 with Sarah Hack of Abrams Zuil Secondary and Jessica Anthony of Queen’s College being the two top performers with 16 and 14 Grade Ones respectively.

While on the Wakenaam Island recently, President Ramotar was met with the news that Omeleta Balgobin who sat this year’s CXC copped seven grade ones, five twos and a distinction in mathematics.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand leading the walk from Parade Ground, Middle Street to Queen’s College for the rally

The official release of the CSEC and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) results however show a significant decline in performance levels for Mathematics and English, with only 33 percent of entrants for the two subjects achieving Grades One to Three.

There was a clarion call for the shortfall to be confronted with urgency, and tangible collaboration at the first ever official release of the examination results in Guyana on August 16.

Among the subject areas where Grade One to Three exceeded 75 percent include;- Agriculture Science, Clothing and Textile, Food and Nutrition, French, Home Economics Management, IT, Integrated Science, Theater Arts, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Physical Education and Sports, Building Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology.

Minister Manickchand while addressing the students at today’s rally, said although the everyday challenges facing the sector are inevitable, Guyanese should be proud of the fact that there has been unprecedented progress and improvements in education under the PPPC Administration.

She made mention of the 1,000 schools built by this Government and the target reached for universal primary education as evidence to dismiss the critics who continually nitpick about the delivery of education.

The Minister upon being installed in her post in December 2011, immediately initiated a pilot project with the aid of boosting Maths and English grades.

She encouraged members of society to be active participants in the countrywide consultation that seek to address issues such as corporal punishment, special needs education and automatic promotion.

Education Month is being observed under the theme: Transforming the Nation through Inclusive Education.