MoE hails ExxonMobil’s US$100M STEM investment as ‘transformational’

Days after ExxonMobil announced a 100 million investment in Guyana’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education, Education Minister Sonia Parag welcomed the announcement describing it as transformational for the country’s students and education sector. In a video message posted on the Ministry’s Facebook page, the Minister said she was absolutely thrilled by the investment and is excited about the opportunities it will provide for Guyanese students.

The 10-year endorsement was made on Monday by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Board of ExxonMobil, Darren Woods during a reception hosted by President Dr Irfaan Ali at State House in observation of Guyana Republic Anniversary. Minister Parag highlighted that the investment will benefit the students and teachers alike as it will see the construction of a STEM centre at the University of Guyana (UG) along with the training of educators in the various fields of STEM. “This investment is going to ensure that we have a dedicated STEM centre at the University of Guyana campus. It is also going to go towards the training of teachers, and we’re looking to start training almost immediately hundreds of teachers in, or at least master trainers, in these specific fields of studies so that they will be able to deliver to our students and our students will be able to acquire the necessary skills.” She emphasised that the programme will prioritise critical thinking, problem solving and innovation, helping students to bridge the gap between real world application and theoretical work. “STEM education is not unknown to Guyana, but it is not as prominent as we would like it to be. So, with this particular investment, I can definitely see so many of our students benefiting from this, our education sector on the whole benefiting from this and of course modernising, going towards modernising our education sector,” Parag added. Further, she highlighted the broader national impact of the initiative, noting that the strengthened STEM education system will contribute to economic growth, sustainable development and the advancement of human capital at a time when Guyana is undergoing rapid transformation. As a result of the investments, it is anticipated that more STEM clubs will be introduced in schools thus allowing as many students as possible to gain hands-on experience in these fields. STEM will also be integrated into the national curriculum, with particular emphasis on mathematics at the primary and secondary school levels, to improve performance in said subject areas at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
Minister Parag related that she is looking forward to the completion of the STEM centre, which is projected for 2028 or 2029 and encouraged parents to have their children participate in the upcoming STEM programmes and clubs.