Education Minister Shaik Baksh addressing participants at the fair
Education Minister Shaik Baksh appealed to stakeholders to see science and technology as transformative agents of development, as the ministry stepped up efforts on Friday, September 23 to stimulate students’ interest in these subjects.
Addressing scores of students, teachers, education officials and representatives of both the private and public sectors at the Education Ministry’s Sports Complex on Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown at the Science and Technology Fair, Baksh pointed out that science and technology are the way forward for Guyana.
Science and technology are major planks of the ministry’s 2008-2013 Education Strategic Plan. These components of the plan dovetail with the national vision to harness those two areas to accelerate the country’s growth and development.
The importance of these two areas has also been amply highlighted in the National Development Strategy; the National Competitiveness Strategy; the Poverty Reduction Strategy; and more recently, the Low Carbon Development Strategy.
The emphasis on science and technology is not limited to a particular field, but is wide-ranging. The two fields are essential in several sectors, including health, agriculture, climate change, and biodiversity.
Baksh told the well- attended gathering at the launching of the fair that Guyana’s development as a nation in the 21st century rests heavily on harnessing and maximising the use of technology, and giving greater attention to research in science and technology.
Propelling economic growth
Staffers of the Institute of Applied Science and Technology demonstrate an experiment for students
The development of local human resources necessary to build a vibrant knowledge- based economy, the minister noted, is crucial in the drive to propel economic growth and national development, and give Guyana the recognition it deserves.
Guyana has been taking several bold steps in this direction, mainly through the One Laptop Per Family Programme that will soon come on stream; the installation of a fibre-optic cable from Brazil to boost Internet connectivity throughout the country; establishment of the Guyana Learning Channel to facilitate education delivery countrywide, including to far-flung regions; the development of computer laboratories at all primary and secondary schools; and the establishment of a state-of-the-art biodiversity centre at the University of Guyana.
Some 3000 teachers have already been trained to use the computer as a teaching and learning tool; and this year, some 2000 more are being trained. These developments collectively, Baksh said, are geared to bridge the digital divide and transform the social, infrastructural, and economic landscapes of Guyana.
Baksh also stressed that efforts are being made to promote the importance of science and technology at the primary and secondary levels, and noted that greater attention is being placed at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) to develop the cadre of professionals that will bring about the desired changes.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds briefly recounted the growth of technology in the past 30 years, and said advancements in this period have been significant. He pointed to evolution of the computer and cell phone to name a few developments.
The prime minister, a chemical engineer by training, said that science and technology have revolutionised the way things are done, and play an important role in practically every aspect of development today.
He said that science and technology are not magic potions for development, but activism and Guyanese working together will help Guyana to grow “by leaps and bounds” in bringing about the change the country wants.
On this score, he lauded the Education Ministry and Minister Baksh for plugging science and technology as vital tools for development.
UNICEF Senior Information Technology Specialist Anand Parmanand and Education Month 2011 convener Bibi Ali also spoke at the one-day event.
The fair featured booths from some 55 private and public sector entities, including the Institute of Applied Science and Technology; the University of Guyana; Global Technology; Digicel, a co-sponsor of the event; the National Centre for Educational Resource Development; and the Guyana Learning Channel.
The booths captured the country’s latest developments in science and technology, and served as a stimulus to encourage students to pursue careers in these fields.
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