Organisation formed to advocate for better education policies

The Commonwealth Students’ Association (CSA), through the Caribbean working group representative of Guyana, Umadevi Bux and Caribbean/Americas Representative Benjamin Fraser, officially announced the formation of the Guyana National Students’ Organisation (GNSO) Steering Committee.

According to the CSA, the appointments come with great pleasure and anticipation, as this is a historic event. The body is the first of its kind in Guyana that will be solely focusing on students and the commencement process for a National Students’ Organisation (Guyana).
The Steering Committee comprises a group of students from across the tertiary educational institutions in Guyana, public and private; as such, they bring a wide array of knowledge and skills to the future formation of the Organisation through the International Commonwealth Students’ Youth Network.
The Steering Committee over a year will be taking up the challenge of launching GNSO. The GNSO will be a merging of student organisations within Guyana. Their role will be as an independent advocate for students, bringing students’ perspectives into the policy decision-making processes within Guyana’s education sector. The GNSO will amplify the voice of students and seek to enhance the role of students in policy matters that affect their lives. The GNSO will be the official platform for students in Guyana. They will be working alongside other National Students’ Associations across the Commonwealth and beyond via the CSA.
After the official launch of the GNSO, it will seek to advocate for better education policies in both private and State educational institutions for students across all regions in Guyana. The Association will also be working alongside the CSA to lobby for student’s rights, Government and Private Sector involvement in the education sector while involving stakeholders to ensure positive impacts are made within the education sector for all parties involved. The GNSO Steering Committee elected members are Chairman: Devta Ramroop; Vice Chairpersons: Tramaine James and Tiana Archibald; Partnership and Agreements: Christopher Alexander; Resources: Javed Mustapha, Public Relations: Davion Fredericks, Policy and Advocacy: Opa Harris; Secretary, Dwayne Wills; Treasurer, and Natasha Alladin. The Steering Committee will be under the leadership and mentorship of Bux alongside Fraser.