Normally schools across the country would have been reopened from the first week in September, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education was forced to push back the reopening and to make other arrangements that would see students being involved in academic learning even though they are away from the classroom.
Considering the many challenges in terms of the technical infrastructure and scarce resources, etc, the Ministry of Education has a monumental task ahead to craft a strategic plan that would cater for children’s learning in a COVID-19 environment.
To its credit, the Government has a full grasp of the challenges and has allocated a substantial amount of resources towards ensuring that a holistic plan is developed and implemented in relation to education delivery, including virtual learning and the preparation of schools for the return of students and teachers.
Certainly, education is a national priority for Guyana and the authorities have treated it that way. There is also considerable agreement in the society that the road to national development can be achieved only through learning, creativity, and hard work.
In light of the changes that will have to be made due to COVID-19, educators will have to adapt very quickly and ensure that students are not left behind. The failure of students must not be an option, hence the important role of the head teachers, regional education officials and even parents.
Through effective leadership, coupled with sound management, head teachers and their senior staff will be able to effectively transform the performance of their students. Good managers know that planning and organisation are critical to success, and it is important that every school adopts this approach. The best-performing schools often have better organised and prepared teachers.
The Ministry of Education, and Government as whole, must constantly review its approaches to education delivery and management. Doing so would not only allow for improved results at the national and regional examinations, but it will contribute to churning out competent and capable individuals who can adapt easily to tertiary education or the working environment.
Further, it is clear that parents have a greater role to play in their children’s education. Now that their children are at home, it is in their interest to monitor their children to ensure that they are gainfully occupied. Parents must not leave their children’s education to teachers and the Ministry of Education alone. They must understand that their role is as important as the education administrators.
It should be mentioned that not long after the new Government took office, Education Minister Priya Manickchand visited and interacted with staff of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) and the Guyana Learning Channel with the aim of developing and implementing a plan of action that would allow students to access learning virtually when they are at home.
It was reported that the Ministry of Education had started to prepare content for the Learning Channel in collaboration with various agencies, for nursery year one through to Grade Eleven. It was also noted that the MoE is looking to prepare programmes on a daily basis for the respective levels.
We had said before that the Guyana Learning Channel could play a greater role in effective and efficient delivery of education and its use must be maximised by all stakeholders.
Over the last decade or so, there have been massive developments in Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) worldwide. There is now easy access to high-speed Internet, etc, which makes it possible to merge content on online platforms.
Telecommunications developments, particularly integrated voice, video and data systems, as well as satellite technologies have made distance education a viable alternative to improving access to educational opportunities for learners of all ages, at all levels and in diverse environments.
Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire developed world had started to rapidly move towards a generation of advanced technology, and most would agree that the results have been tremendous.
From the looks of it, the Ministry is heading in the right direction. It is now up to those who are tasked with implementing the changes to do what is required and raise their own levels of performances, as it is only by doing so would the desired results be achieved.
