The Carnegie School of Home Economics remains relevant in today’s society and both females and males should take advantage of what it has to offer, Education Minister Priya Manickchand urged as she delivered the feature address, at a ceremony to mark the institution’s 80^th anniversary on Friday.

The minister, speaking at the observance at Herdmanston House, Queenstown said that the institution has helped to educate many women who have made positive impact locally. “I know over the years this school has produced thousands of mostly women who have contributed to the development of Guyana.  Men can also benefit from the skills taught in the school as many are now fulfilling roles in households traditionally viewed as the purview of females and assisting as home makers,” she said.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand addressing the gathering at the 80th anniversary observance of the Carnegie School of Home Economics

“For those who would say they don’t need the help because we know it naturally … clearly we should envision or fashion our school to attract more boys so that in this new Guyana that we’re building we could have more of our male population with the skills that are being taught at this school,” Minister Manickchand stated.

“Additionally as we go forward, how do we make a world where skills are becoming more and more important? How do we prepare girls …in addition to preparing them to be good home keepers outside of the home or not, how do we prepare them for jobs is at present an activity  the Ministry of Education is looking at… how we can attract more girls and women to the state- of- the- art technical institutes that we have.”

Past Principal of the Carnegie School of Home Economics speaking at the 80th anniversary observance of the institution

Minister Manickchand said it may be sometime however, for the school’s curriculum to be expanded to offer training in some non-traditional roles.

Courses offered at this institution are Front desk operations, Housekeeping, Resort Management, Hospitality Management and Health and Social Care. Recently Tourism awareness for youths was introduced.

A call was also made by the minister for facilities such as Day Care Nurseries to become a formal part of training institutions, in particular to cater for the needs of single parents who wish to utilise their services.

Government is also examining the setting up of a hospitality school, with interested partners, which would also attract students from the diaspora who wish to become entrepreneurs.

A section of the gathering at the 80th anniversary observance of the Carnegie School of Home Economics

Past Principal/Board Member Ms. Magda Pollard, in her remarks said that Carnegie historically has supported family life in Guyana. Carnegie started with girls who were unemployed and it was aimed at making them employable. She also gave a brief historical background of the institution that started with a British- born principal.

Principal of the School, Ms. Penelope Harris noted that this anniversary is a significant event and added that the expansion of the institution is very important in terms of providing quality training in the courses offered.

A Souvenir magazine is set to be launched soon by the school’s Production and Design Division as part of its anniversary observances.