Now that Guyana is at the cusp of transformation, its unique history must be well preserved. This was according to Chancellor of the University of Guyana Edward Green, who added that documentation of the country’s history is carelessly recorded.
Greene said that it is important that Guyana’s education system is well-grounded in an authentic archive that will expose persons to the country’s culture.
He said: “The National Archives is seriously underfunded, the archives that we go to find out what happened in the past. To tell you, I went to the archives to make sure that they had recordings that I was one time a pannist and I couldn’t find a record, it doesn’t exist”.
The former Caricom Deputy Secretary General elucidated that those working at the National Archives should be more careful with how to take care of the country’s records.
“But more importantly, the records don’t exist because of carelessness as a part of those who keep the records. For example, recordings of former artists… the people who keep those records are recording things over the records; so, you don’t have a record of what existed”, he explained.
The former WHO/PAHO adviser on Health and Human Development suggested that history be a compulsory course at every institution so that students will be knowledgeable about Guyana’s history.
Meanwhile, the National Archives of Guyana is a repository of official State records and local publications, including newspaper publications from Guyana.
