The education sector benefited from a large chunk of the 2011 budget which allowed for the ministry’s programmes, policies and special initiatives to be carried out to ensure equitable and quality education at all levels.
Some of the highlights of the sector include the induction of 515 new trained teachers, implementation of special initiatives, improved remuneration packages for teachers, computerisation of secondary schools, provision of uniform assistance, meals and learning materials, and major transformation in infrastructure, thereby making schools more conducive learning environments.
The sector received an allocation of Gy$24.3 billion in 2011. This was an increase of Gy$2.5 billion over the 2010 allocation.
Government’s investments have not been in vain, since the education sector recorded increased enrollments, at all levels, and improvement in students’ performance. Guyanese students achieved several of the 28 regional Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) 2011 awards with the overall performer award going to Anurada Dev, while Kia Persaud, was recognised as the top Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination (CAPE) performer. Exceptional performances were also recorded in the technical and vocational subjects.
On December 5, a new minister, Priya Manickchand, was appointed to the ministry, and soon after she initiated a five-month project in 32 secondary schools to improve results in mathematics and English by 20 per cent in the upcoming May/June examinations.
Through the programme, over 4000 Grade 11 students, who will be sitting the 2012 CSEC examinations will be given all the resources they need with the hope that they will pass these subjects at the 2012 examinations.
Students in their school’s computer lab
These include a collection of revision DVDs, combined papers from 2008 to 2011, model solutions to difficult answers, geometry sets, graph papers and scientific calculators. The package for English A includes a collection of past papers, a dictionary, and combined solutions and in specific schools, assistance will also be given for English B (Literature).
Some of the targeted schools are: Abram Zuil Secondary, Region Two; Stewartville and Zeeburg Secondary, Region Three; Annandale and Bladen Hall Secondary, Region Four; East Ruimveldt and Richard Ishmael Secondary in Georgetown; Bush Lot Secondary and Woodley Park Primary-top, Region Five; New Amsterdam and Skeldon Line Path Secondary, Region Six; Three Miles Secondary, Region Seven; St Ignatius Secondary, Region Nine; and Mackenzie High and Christianburg Secondary, Region 10.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure has always been a priority for education, and in 2011, several new schools were commissioned, including the Gy$16 million ‘C’ Field Sophia Nursery School; the Gy$58.3 million Parfait Harmonie Nursery School; the Gy$45.8 million De Hoop Primary School; Gy$293 million Leonora Secondary School; and the Gy$427.5 million Leonora Technical Institute. The Gy$77.7 million Sand Creek Secondary School will be commissioned early this year.
Work also commenced on several new schools, including a primary school in the Diamond/Grove community and one at Two Miles, Region Seven. Another secondary school is slated to be built at Jawalla, Region Seven to ease the pressure, particularly at the Waramadong Secondary School.
Teacher reform
The Education Ministry along with the World Bank had officially launched a US$5.12 million Guyana Improvement Teacher Education Project (GITEP), to boost the effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of quality teacher education in Guyana. Through the programme, teacher educators are given the chance to improve their qualifications to the masters’ level.
In the drive to continue equipping schools with trained personnel, more emphasis was placed on training. As a result, the 515 new trained teachers who graduated from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) enabled the ministry to achieve its goal of 70 per cent of trained teachers in the school system before 2013.
Pupils enjoying a hot meal courtesy of the government
Teachers already in the system were given the opportunity to receive professional upgrades via programmes facilitated by the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD), particularly, the non-graduate and continuous development programmes.
To ensure the delivery of education in the hinterland, the ministry dispatched 65 youths to hinterland communities through its teacher volunteer programme. Following their one-year tenure, they will be given the opportunity to pursue training at the CPCE to become professional teachers.
Social components
The ministry also rejuvenated its student councils and the mentoring programmes at the secondary level in an effort to boost students’ involvement, while improving their outlook of life.
Through these programmes, students are empowered to effectively represent their peers, share ideas and interests, promote a healthy self-esteem, explore the nature of relationships, and foster the development of positive values, attitudes and behaviours.
While strides were made towards getting students more involved in their education, former Education Minister Shaik Baksh had been strident in his call for increased parental participation in terms of supporting teachers, the school and their children while at home.
One of the projects the ministry undertook with zest was the computerisation of the 110 secondary schools countrywide. A sum of Gy$223 million was allocated for the procurement of 1400 computer systems and accessories for the schools’ computer laboratories. More than 70 laboratories were completed. Primary schools were not left out of the information communication technology (ICT) drive as the ministry implemented the Success Maker, a computerised software that aids learning.
Funding was also provided for the launch of the Guyana Learning Channel, an educational network intended for countrywide coverage, reaching all communities in Guyana with formal and informal educational information programming.
UG, SCCP graduation
The University of Guyana’s (UG) 45th convocation produced 1400 graduates, and for the first time, persons graduated in the fields of dental surgery and science and pharmacy at the degree level and orthopaedic and traumatology, at the post-graduate level.
Meanwhile, 764 secondary students graduated from the Secondary Competency Certificate Programme (SCCP), which is an alternative pathway for the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes for further training and the world of work.
The Education Ministry is on the pathway to improving learning outcomes through the inculcation of knowledge and competencies so that students across Guyana can continue their education, training, skills acquisition, the promotion of values, attitudes and skills that will enable them to actively participate in society.
Comments are closed.