Three-day workshop seeks to examine Science Technology, Innovation policy indicators
Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA, March 30, 2015, Source
The Ministry of Education, today, began a three - day Science Technology and Innovation (STI) workshop, to examine the policy and indicators in Guyana. The workshop is being facilitated by experts from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Participants are drawn from a number of agencies which include UNESCO, CARICOM, University of Guyana, Private Sector Commission, the Bureau of Statistics, Office of the President, Environmental Protection Agency, Sterling Products, and the Public Works Ministry, and is being held at the Grand Coastal Inn, on the East Coast, Demerara.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand noted that whilst the workshop deals with indicators in Guyana, she stated that the weakest part of most policies is monitoring and evaluating. She also observed that the workshop comes at a time in the ministry’s structure, when every policy must include the ways by which it is measured.
Ernesto Fernandes Polcuch of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation , Monteviedo; Martin Schaaper of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Education Minister Priya Manickchand and Secretary General of UNESCO’s Guyana office, Ingee Nathoo
The minister also pointed to the education of the population as a work in progress and which cannot depend on traditional ways. With Guyana taking the leadership role in science and technology to match the economic means under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) project, she indicated that using the country’s scientific resources to match the needs of the economics of the population would see scientific ways to meet them.
Observing the call from persons outside of Guyana to access the LCDS policy, the minister added that European countries are interested in Guyana because of the LCDS, as well as the input into the field of science and technology. She explained that this was not an accident, since the government has focused and invested in science and technology in schools through a conscious strategic plan.
With the increased in the number of persons taking science exams, this has seen the challenge of setting up laboratories in schools, and which was augmented by setting up more schools in the hinterland. However, this was overcome through the use of micro science kits, which increased the learning of science.
The Minister also explained that through inputs from the World Bank, work would be focused on making the university better, by rehabilitating/rebuilding all the labs there. She also pointed out that whilst research grants are being given to persons in Guyana seeking answers from science, the curricula of the UG is also being reviewed in the areas of science and technology, as this is a focused policy position of the government.
With the draft of the five- year strategic plan completed, ‘science and technology’ has taken a large part of it. Further she pointed out that Cabinet has approved the National Science and Technology innovation plan and out of it, the national council was set up. This, she noted was done by the late Navin Chandarpal.
Workshop participants at the Grand Coastal Inn
Minister Manickchand pointed out that because Chandarpal lives on in these kinds of policies, “he will continue to live and we take the opportunity to thank him.” Guyana is the only country in the Caribbean with anything close to a draft policy that can be implemented she added.
Meanwhile other speakers at the opening of the event included Martin Schaaper of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and Ernesto Fernandes Polcuch of UNESCO, Montevideo.
Schaaper noted that the whole range of indicators which can monitor science and technology has been recognised worldwide as being based on evidence.
Polcuch observed that the timely workshop helps the efforts to support it financially and with expertise which is valued by UNESCO. He expects that during the workshop lots of ‘interruptions’ would occur in order that participants, as well as the trainers could learn.
Meanwhile Secretary General of the UNESCO’s Guyana Office, Ingee Nathoo pointed out that STIs are an impact indicator of the master plan for which a gap analysis on science and technology is needed.
UNESCO has helped to in 2009/2011, the Science Unit, NCERD, develop a National Science and Technology Policy and Master Plan for the Socio-Economic and Environmental Advancement of Guyana. The policy was recently reviewed and approved by the Government of Guyana.
