The government has earmarked $52 billion for the public education sector in its emergency budget.
Presenting the budget in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill said that as the nation benefits from the start of oil production, the government is resolute that its human resource is the greatest resource, hence over 15.8 per cent of the total budget was going toward the public education sector.
“…the government understands the role of the public education sector in the development of Guyana and has budgeted $52 billion or 15.8 per cent of the total budget for it,” Edghill declared while noting that over $1.7 billion of the total amount is allocated for the construction and rehabilitation of schools across the country
He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems worldwide and with the safety of Guyanese of paramount importance, schools will not be reopened as yet. Instead, the delivery of education will be done safely and effectively through the use of innovative methods, while the specific needs of students by levels, grades, regions and situations are assessed.
The minister informed that the government has embarked on tuition in different ways to deliver to learners throughout the levels, grades and regions. For every level, Edghill listed to the National Assembly what and how quality learning will continue amidst the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. “The nursery students will be given individual home-based packages containing print material, manipulatives and other appropriate resources. The primary and secondary students will each receive work books and the core text books in math, English, social studies, and science, which they will use during this time and beyond. Mr Speaker, this will be accompanied by content and instruction on the Learning Channel that has already begun broadcasting in a timetabled, structured format that caters for each grade from nursery to grade 9. We acknowledge that the Channel in its current composition fails to meet our needs across the country. Therefore, we will expand and upgrade so that 6 channels can run concurrently. This upgrade will also permit for hinterland communities that are currently unserved to be catered for. In conjunction with this channel, we have provided funds in this budget to establish a radio station which will be dedicated to delivering education. Over $300 million is allocated to these blended learning options,” he explained.
Edghill also said that in anticipation of an eventual school reopening, provisions have been made for schools to be retrofitted with the necessary infrastructure to exist in a COVID-19 world. He stated that sinks with running water, proper ventilation, working toilets, the delivery of masks to teachers, students and ancillary staff, and adequate signage to promote safe behaviour in all learning institutions and in all schools are catered for in the 2020 budget.
According to Edghill, in this year’s budget, provisions for the Cyril Potter College of Education is also included. He said these provisions are to facilitate the continuity of learning in hinterland centres of teacher education and to facilitate the virtual teacher education programme. Additionally, the Ministry of Education has recently launched a mass teacher-training exercise which will see all teachers across the country being trained in the delivery of education using Information and communications technology (ICT) effectively.
The government has also allocated $3 billion to the University of Guyana (UG). UG has moved its instructions online, hence it will be using this time to do much needed renovations, Edghill said. And while lecturers have begun to teach using various means of ICT, many have had to improvise learning as they went along, so, “to support our tertiary institution, government has allocated $3 billion to the University of Guyana. Of this amount, $221.3 million is allocated to complete and advance several roll-over projects across both campuses including the new sewer system, the human resources and bursary building, the pump house, teaching learning centre, and electrical upgrade projects.”
