President Jagdeo and several government ministers pose with students outside the studio of the ETBS
The highly-touted Educational Television Broadcasting Service (ETBS) has been officially launched, and students along the coast of Guyana are now able to view programmes aired on Channel 29/Cable 80 as of Saturday, April 2nd.
The initiative, which cost the government close to US$1million, is expected to be rolled out nationwide by July.
Addressing a gathering of educators, students and members of the diplomatic corps in the auditorium of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), Education Minister Shaik Baksh said the launching of the station represents the dawn of a new era for the delivery of education in Guyana.
“Today heralds in a new era in the provision of educational services in our country.
“It is in keeping with the Ministry of Education’s vision to modernize education, and in so doing, to modernize Guyana,” Baksh declared.
According to him, the operation of the channel allows for the expansion of access to educational programmes to all segments of the country’s population.
As such, Baksh highlighted the role of all stakeholders, and pointed specifically to the University of Guyana. “Our university must now take up that challenge to be able to produce programmes and to advance the various programmes at the university in all the various faculties.” Baksh believes that the establishment of the ETBS will help to improve the quality of education, which has been a challenge not only for Guyana, but the Caribbean and even further afield.
And to complement this, the Ministry of Education intends to ensure that primary and secondary schools have modern, functioning computer laboratories. Meanwhile, President Bharrat Jagdeo, who officially launched the initiative, sees it as a good opportunity for the Ministry of Education to surpass its goal of achieving universal primary education to achieving universal secondary education. Jagdeo declared that the ETBS will not feature political content. This announcement was met with applause from the audience.
“We need at least one channel with a break from politics in this country, and this one will be it. There will be absolutely no politics on this channel,” he declared.
“Just imagine, an Amerindian village with one television set in the school being able to see the best Math or Science teacher in our country taking them through equations … it would help to supplement the knowledge of the teacher who is there in the classroom that they would have a significant advantage.” The president made it clear that the intention behind the ETBS is to have a channel that will educate all Guyanese, whether a child or a grandparent. Content is of major concern to the head of state, who was pleased with the launching of the channel on April 01st.
He believes that some of the content should include the cultures and struggles of other countries, so that Guyanese could appreciate and tolerate other people. “…this sort of thing is badly needed in a country like ours.” President Jagdeo said the ETBS has a major supporting role to play in the government’s One Laptop Per Family project (OLPF). This is possible through participation in basic fundamental computer training at a specific time daily.
He acknowledged that, like any starting- up project, there will be problems, but he urged all to get onboard to make this endeavour a true Guyanese success.
The Educational Television Broadcasting Service (ETBS) is set to operate from 9: 00h to 23: 00h daily, but President Jagdeo has challenged the officials to make it 24-hour service, even if it means repeating the day’s programme to facilitate those who would have missed it earlier.
The station will cater air programmes for preschoolers, nursery, primary, secondary, university, early school leavers, and even parents and farmers.
In the second phase of operation of the ETBS, areas like Corentyne, Orealla, Bartica, Linden, Ituni, Kwakwani and Mahdia are set to benefit; while transmission will ultimately reach Annai, Aishalton and Karasabai in Region Nine, and Mabaruma and Port Kaituma in Region One.
