The sod was yesterday turned for the University of Guyana’s Early Childhood Centre of Excellence
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan declared that it is important that the nation invests more in early childhood education to ensure that all children of that age have access to these crucial services.
According to the text of his remarks, the Minister said that this Early Childhood Centre of Excellence was funded jointly by the Government of Guyana and the Caribbean Development Bank, through the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) Guyana, and will stand as a “model institution” for service delivery and development of early childhood education.
The gathering was told that $120 million has been allocated for the construction of the Centre of Excellence and it “will therefore prove a truly worthwhile investment.” The building will span 7,624 square feet and contain enough classrooms to accommodate 120 infants and toddlers, along with an observation room, conference room, and research spaces. At least 20 adults will gain employment there and learn to become better early childhood practitioners themselves. According to the Minister, professional development opportunities abound in such a space, with the Centre producing capable individuals to contribute to Guyana’s skilled labour force.
He went on to explain that although this was not the first such centre that has been established by the BNTF, since six centres were established in 7th and 8th project cycles, this Centre of Excellence which will be established in the 9th cycle will be at the helm; guiding the direction and standards of early childhood education nationwide.
Jordan described the Centre as “unique” in that it not only contains a facility for children to grow and thrive in a safe environment conducive to learning, but it will also function as a research facility, where early childhood education scholars can come together to conduct studies and further develop good practices. It will also serve as a hub and resource centre for other early childhood education practitioners to gain knowledge and advice from experts in the field.
He added that once established, the Centre will become a flagship laboratory school under the University of West Indies Open Campus (UWI OC) Early Childhood Centres of Excellence Company, as formalised in a Memorandum of Understanding between UWI and the University of Guyana. The Company, he disclosed, also known as BLOOM, has already established Centres of Excellence in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. These laboratory preschools, he said, employ holistic education methods while creating a “nurturing and engaging” atmosphere for the students enrolled there. The Minister stated that, “With University of Guyana’s Centre now joining these prestigious ranks, Guyana will also be able to build upon its cultural power and realm of influence throughout the Caribbean.”
The Finance Minister referenced a World Bank report which stated that far too few children worldwide, especially those from the poorest families, have the option to enrol in high quality early childhood programmes. He added that many experts have emphasised that investing in children’s development during the first eight years of their life is critical for their school, life success and productivity.
Jordan noted that up until the establishment of the Early Childhood Development Centres under the BNTF, there was only one state-owned day-care centre, apart from the services offered by the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown. This meant, he added, that services for infants up to the age of three “remained largely in the private sector and in the hands of untrained individuals.”
With 2020 fast approaching, the Minister iterated that one of the administration’s goals is to build an “Education Nation” with emphasis on quality at each stage of the education process. “Learning should be an unceasing process throughout our lives, but how it starts in the early years of a child’s development is particularly crucial: it will dictate the kind of adults they become, and, in turn, determine the future of our great nation.”
