Dear Editor,
Significant portions of annual budgetary allocations to services that consume far more wealth (even wastefully at times) than they create, such as the judiciary, police, prisons, and some others can be significantly reduced if our education system is modernized and democratized so that quality education is made accessible to all children. The big question is, what needs to be done to modernize and democratize schooling so that a system of quality education can be established? As a prerequisite, there is need for a working consensus on four issues: 1)What does to ‘educate’ mean? 2) What is the modernization and democratization of education? 3) What is quality education? and 4) What purposes must our schools serve?
Valid responses to the questions posed are: 1) to educate – a process involving the use of the various fields of knowledge to discover, free, nurture and develop the potentials/talents of individuals; 2) to modernize and democratize schooling – a process of freeing the potentials of all who come to school, maximizing their ability to share in the determination of the goals of their communities and the larger society, and to participate creatively and effectively in the realization of these goals. As such the modernization and democratization of schooling is much more than building new schools, more than enhancing physical infrastructure and increasing the availability of books and modern equipment. 3) Quality education – education that meets the needs of individual students, the needs of teachers, and the needs of the society at large; and 4) the ultimate purpose of education in Guyana must be to build a democratic and prosperous Guyanese nation with the capacity for sustainable growth and development.
Assuming there is consensus on the above, there is urgent need to
1) re-organize, restructure and strengthen the Ministry of Education including teacher education to reflect new emphases on science (agri science included), technology, society, environment and sport;
2) reorganize the school system into closer knit families of schools (nursery/primary/ secondary), each family under the direct supervision of a senior education professional;
3) reform the general curriculum, co- and extra-curricula to reflect new emphases on science, technology, society, environment and sport;
4) reform the entire process of education so that every student and not just the academically gifted has equal opportunity to develop his/her potential, and to experience success at school;
5) enact and operationalize enabling legislation (for the good of society), to acquire land to build purpose-built schools for the effective delivery of new co- extra- and curricular emphases;
6) review recruitment and professionalization procedures, and drastically improve remuneration; 7) recruit more male role models for all levels of schooling.
For many reasons the role of education in Guyana has evolved into an extremely complex business. More important, however, is the fact that an understanding of the relationship between education and nation building has been an imperative since the year of Guyana’s ‘independence.’ Education in Guyana therefore needs to be a) staffed, managed, administered and regulated by highly qualified and experienced professional educators; and b) able to attract some of the best minds it has helped to produce. Remuneration and benefit packages will therefore have to be extremely competitive in the marketplace.
In a world dominated by rapid advances in the scientific and technological fields, and in the context of Guyana’s own economic and social realities (crises), the need for new and universal emphasis to be placed on the sciences, technology, society and the environment is obvious. Further comment is therefore restricted to new emphases in the areas of sport, the co- and extra-curricula.
Since the establishment of mass education in Guyana in 1976, it has become impossible for the traditional and narrow academic school curriculum to offer opportunities for development to the tremendous variety of potentials/talents/abilities/interests now represented within the current student body. We continue to ignore the need to urgently modernize and democratize our practice of education at our own peril. Much of the potential/talent of today’s student body is located in the affective (feelings), and psychomotor (muscular activity) domains of human behaviour. Hence, universal accessibility to adequate sport, co- and extra-curricular programmes and facilities will enable many more individuals not only to have their abilities challenged daily, but also to experience success in school – to develop their potentials/talents, to discover their identities and grow their self-esteem.
As a consequence of their newly found multi-faceted interests, healthy lifestyles, and self-images, some of the substantial benefits that should eventually accrue to Guyanese society are
1) a reduction in the number of dropouts, illiterates and social misfits, resulting in the enhancement of the national talent pool, and character; and a reduction in criminal activity, resulting in the reduction of budgetary allocations for judicial, police and prison services;
2) a reduction in the birth rate among female teenagers resulting in smaller families so that population and economic growth rates eventually become synchronized, resulting in less unemployment and less burden on the social services (education, health. welfare);
3) a reduction in the number of persons with chronic non-communicable diseases, and costs for medical treatments;
4) increases in production, productivity, creativity, and national wealth resulting from the improved health of workers;
5) an enhanced national revenue base for funding essential public infrastructure and social services. As more employed persons purchase goods and services the economy grows, resulting in increased contributions to the national treasury.
As the economy is stimulated and grows, employment increases, workers earn higher wages and are able to save more. Increased savings result in the accumulation of funds available for investments that promote greater economic growth and create even more opportunities for employment. The underground economy, relatively speaking, will become less significant and will no longer pose a threat to the official economy.
Ultimately, as citizens become more prosperous and enjoy higher standards of living so also will our emerging democracy. The Guyanese dreams of a ‘good society’ and a ‘good life’ will be well on their way to becoming realities.
Yours faithfully,
Clarence O Perry