The Education Ministry is now in a better position to address the needs of the differently-able population, subject Minister Priya Manickchand said as she commissioned the Visually-Impaired Resource Unit at Albert Street, Georgetown.
Minister Manickchand said major attention has been given to “Special Education Needs”, but noted that the commissioning of the unit will be followed by greater investments.
Manickchand made it clear, however, that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has invested heavily in the development of the Education Sector. Turning back the pages of history, she said when the PPP/C took office in 1992; the Education Sector was in a terrible state.
“We found a broken country, we found a dilapidated education system… our buildings were in a state of disrepair,” she contended. She further pointed out that there was a lack of resources and trained teachers.
Understanding the importance of education in transforming a country, Minister Manickchand said the PPP/C in 1992 took a decision to undo the harms done. Boasting of the achievements made thus far, Manickchand said Guyana has moved from having 30 per cent trained teachers to more than 70 per cent today. For the past five years, approximately 15 per cent of the national budgets have been dedicated towards the Education Sector. Because of the choices taken by the Government, every student in the primary education system is given text books for the four core subjects: Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies.
Grades Seven to Nine students in secondary schools are also given texts for the main subject areas, including Spanish and Agriculture Science. She said it was necessary to better the system before venturing into other areas.
Promise fulfilled
Manickchand said too that the commissioning of the Visually-Impaired Resource Unit is a fulfilment of a promise made to the people of Guyana, in particular the disabled population. She explained that prior to the 2011 General and Region Elections, the PPP/C in its manifesto had pledged to strengthen the Special Needs Education system by ensuring that the differently-able are empowered to achieve personal fulfilment and make a contribution to the country. “That manifesto has guided… Government.”
The commissioning ceremony of the Visually-Impaired Resource Unit was attended by scores of student, teachers and educational officials, including Principal Education Officer (Georgetown) Baydewan Rambarran and National Commission on Disability Chairperson Evelyn Hamilton.
