…plans to “bridge the gap” from 2018
The education sector is one of several priority areas in any Government; so much so that, in Guyana, billions are budgeted for the sector each year.
However, according to Education Minister Nicolette Henry, much more needs to be done, as there is an unequal distribution of education resources throughout the country.
Minister Henry made this admission when she appeared on a radio programme on Friday. According to the minister, the situation remains a significant challenge for the Ministry of Education (MoE), but it is one the MoE hopes to tackle in 2018.
“There’s an opportunity to bridge that gap. In 2018, we intend to continue to work to address that gap. And we believe (that) through ICT, we can be able to reduce the gap,” the Minister said. “It’s going to be a long-term process before we can close that gap, but we have begun to make the necessary adjustments and take appropriate actions to ensure the gap is minimised. And in 2020, we are going to be doing even more work.”
She added that the MoE recently launched the first “Smart classroom”, and that is intended to be the standard by which education would be delivered to the children of Guyana.
“So that’s one recommendation. The other areas where we intend to reduce the disparity have to do with the teachers’ training,” Henry related.
According to Henry, there is an absence of training for teachers in Region Eight, (Potaro-Siparuni), and in light of this, systems will be put in place for this in 2018.
“We have already received applications, shortlisted (persons), and are in the process of working with persons in that community to ensure the training of the teachers. I believe teachers are the bedrock of the education system, and therefore they need to be trained to function well,” she said.
Education CoI
In April 2016, the Government had launched an inquiry into the education system with the aim of gathering “evidential bases” for the revision, upgrading, and extension of the system.
The CoI set up to conduct this probe held hearings across the country with parents, guardians, teachers, religious leaders, unions, and the private sector on their perception of the state of the education system, as well as what they would recommend for its enhancement.
The commission had found that there is need for greater collaboration between the regional education departments and the regional administrations, to determine the educational needs of each particular region.
The report also revealed that some Regional Education Officers (REO) are not aware of their responsibilities; and while systems are in place to inform them of such, sanctions are notably absent.
In accepting the report, then Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine had said he would be presenting the report to both Cabinet and the National Assembly.
