Revolutionising education delivery through technology

The progress of a nation can be no swifter than its progress in education; and in this regard, significant efforts are being made by the authorities in Guyana to realise this vision. This is evident in the huge budgetary allocation to the education sector, which accounts for the largest slice of the national budget. It is evident the administration realises that, in order to develop the minds and abilities of the citizenry to fulfill their dreams and be positive contributors to society and national development, a modern, high-quality education system is very important.

In this quest, among other key imperatives, wide access to education is paramount, and the establishment of the Educational Television Broadcasting Service (ETBS), recently launched, represents another positive move in this direction. This innovative development heralds a new era in education delivery in Guyana, and is perhaps the most potent arsenal yet in the quest to realise the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) vision for equality in education delivery, teacher training, and enhancing academic learning in the broadest sense. It should be noted that, apart from the education sector, the EBTS will also be providing critical information on programmes in the health, agriculture, transport, local government, housing, and other government ministries.

Guyana will also become the first country in the Caribbean to introduce a dedicated education broadcasting channel – a development on the trajectory to once again regain its rightful place as the brain of the Caribbean. This laudable initiative has placed Guyana in a position to significantly transform education delivery by taking education to the masses utilising a largely accessible, direct and effective medium.

In addition, this investment signals another manifestation of the government’s commitment to improving education delivery while simultaneously advancing its information and communication technologies’ (ICTs) agenda.

The new television channel will be used strategically for several purposes, including supporting and enhancing teaching; motivating students, and stimulating learning; and presenting unreachable facts and events to viewers. Understandably, the MoE is moving in this direction because it recognises that the medium of television can be an effective tool in distance education delivery. With this focus in mind, significant efforts have been made to produce lessons in all the subject areas at every grade, including at the primary and secondary levels, to be available to viewers.

We suggest that the MoE look at the possibility of placing these programmes on its website for students to learn at their own time and pace, and for those who would have missed a broadcast to be able to catch up. This will allow both the channel and the website to play a vital role in promoting learning when the president’s One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme fully comes on stream.

As our education system prepares students to be productive members of society, more attention than ever should be placed on integrating ICTs into the teaching and learning processes. The integration of technology and education could be viewed as a global approach to learning and communicating; and, in this context, the computer serves as a vital resource for students and teachers to boost education delivery. Undoubtedly, this move is critical in the drive to equip learners with the knowledge and skills they need in the 21st century. And the MoE has already started the process with the training of some 2800 teachers in the school system to use the computer as a teaching and learning tool.

With this education channel being available, a brighter future for all our citizens has become more possible. It is now up to the parents, teachers and students to make maximum use of the EBTS, and to work to make the vision for a productive and fulfilling life for every Guyanese a reality.