The role of science and technology in charting a brighter future for Guyana cannot be over emphasised as the country grapples with the emerging global challenges, Education Minister Shaik Baksh said in a message to mark the beginning of Education Month (September).
Education Minister Shaik Baksh
He said one of the proposals being considered to whip up interest in the sciences at the school level is waiving the exam fees for students sitting the subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level. Education Month is being celebrated under the theme “Transforming Guyana through science and technology in education.” Baksh said that in charting this course the ministry has a central role to play in equipping youth with the education and the right mindset to advance the national development agenda.
He said the government has recognised that the socio-economic growth of Guyana is not only dependent on solving environmental issues, but other factors, including resource development, manufacturing, communication, transportation, health services, and commerce.
“This growth is inextricably linked to scientific expertise.
“Guyana is part of an interconnected world network, and must determine its own optimal strategy for growth. It is within this context that the ministry is working towards completion of an innovative and comprehensive science policy for the education sector,” Baksh said. He added that the policy, which will dovetail with the visionary Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), will set out the way forward for science to have a stronger presence at all levels of the education system, to create the enabling environment for Guyana to achieve the desired transformation.
According to him, though science occupies a permanent place on the schools’ curricula, there is need for more students to sit the sciences at CSEC.
Encouraging
“Over the past three years, the number of secondary school students sitting science subjects has been increasing. These students have also been performing creditably at the examinations,” Baksh said.
At the ministry, considerable attention is being placed on attracting students to pursue studies in these areas, and a National Science Unit has been established to lead the process. Among the proposals Baksh said the ministry is hoping to finalise to attract students is granting them scholarships to attend the University of Guyana (UG).
A proposal to give special incentives to teachers trained in the sciences and in mathematics is also being examined.
Importantly, non- graduate certificate programmes for teachers of physics, chemistry and biology have been introduced, and those who complete the programme receive an increase in remuneration.
Baksh said the foundation has been set at the school level, as it is now important that more students pursue the sciences so that Guyana, in the near future, will have the local technical capacity to make its vision for transformation a reality.
Integration of
technology in education
“Equally important in the realisation of this vision is the merging of science with technology to improve services, particularly in the health and agriculture sectors. As our education system prepares students to be productive members of society, more attention than ever before has to be placed on the integration of information communication technology (ICT) in the teaching and learning processes.
Undoubtedly, this move is critical in the drive to equip learners with the knowledge and skills they need in the 21st century.
The integration of technology in education provides students with a global approach to learning and communicating, and the computer serves as a vital resource for students and teachers of inclusive classrooms, allowing for the diverse needs and varying ability levels of the former to be met.” The minister said that, already, some 3,000 teachers in the school system have been trained to use the computer as a teaching and learning tool. The training has been regionalised, and some 2,000 teachers are expected to complete training this year.
The ministry, in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat, has already developed a road map to implement UNESCO’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Competence Framework for Teachers, an internationally recognised framework that provides clear pathways for teachers to develop their ability to use computers effectively to support teaching and learning.
Additionally, Baksh said the collaboration between the stated agencies will see the completion of several essential activities. These include the development of a new set of training modules for teachers; a thorough review of two key components of the ICT in education initiative; a comprehensive audit of the current capacity of local teachers to use ICT effectively; partnering with global partners to secure international accreditation for these training modules; and the implementation of a robust, three-tiered governance model.
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