Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand has disputed statements made by former Minister and current Member of Parliament, Cathy Hughes about the number of smart classrooms in the education system.
On Wednesday, Hughes attended a virtual AFC press conference on its Facebook page and in her presentation stated that between July 2015 and July 2020, the National Data Management Authority in association with the then Ministry of Education and her previous ministry, the Ministry of Public Telecom-munications, opened and operationalised 11 smart classrooms.
She listed the schools where the classrooms were opened as: Queen’s College (master classroom), East Ruimveldt Secondary, Leonora Secondary, Skeldon Linepath Secondary, New Amsterdam Multilateral, President’s College, Brick-dam Secondary, Christianburg Secondary, Bush Lot Secondary, Soesdyke Secon-dary, and the 8th of May Secondary. Hughes added that special emphasis was made to ensure that equal representation was given to Guyana’s diverse communities and listed the effort in chronological order. In November 2017, a $6 million smart classroom at NCERD was launched and in February 2019, smart classrooms were established and launched in Regions One and Nine, at the Lethem Resource Training Centre and the Kato Secondary School.
The former minister also mentioned that under the previous administration, over 120 ministry buildings were connected with secured internet through an E-government network that was established before 2015, but never put into operation. Additionally, over 158 primary schools, 105 secondary schools, 30 technical and vocational institutions were able to open 173 information communication technology (ICT) hubs. Along with over 72 hinterland communities which were provided with free internet access to Regional Democratic Council and Neighbourhood Democratic Council offices, 11 fully equipped smart classrooms and a few smart hospitals across the hinterland regions were put in place via the E-Government network. Hughes said that cameras with connectivity were installed at markets and police and fire stations through this operation. She explained that it was designed to provide more government services online, hence making information more accessible and education easier, more transparent, and efficient for citizens.
Hughes said during the press conference and later in her statement which she posted to her Facebook page, “One cannot comprehend how this administration would choose to close the regional offices of Community Development and Social Management division which kept this vital infrastructure in working order.” She added, “The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted just how important the infrastructure the APNU+AFC left in place is,” and “the fact that this Government has paid scant attention to it for the benefit of ordinary Guyanese is unacceptable.”
Manickchand in response to the former Minister’s statement said that the only school listed by Hughes, which has a smart classroom, is Queen’s College, where a smart classroom was commissioned last week. In the release, the Minister branded Hughes’ representation as “an absolute falsehood” which was unnecessary and “presents a worrying picture of depths” the APNU+AFC is prepared to sink to desperately “re-invent themselves from being the inefficient, incapable and uncaring government they were.” The ministry further exhorted Hughes to avoid disseminating such information as it relates to the children’s education as it can serve no useful purpose. Manickchand also informed that the government is in the process of building and setting up 20 smart classrooms which will benefit from mass online teaching and will be equipped by utilising equipment which was placed in storage.
This newspaper was able to speak with students who attend four of the schools Hughes listed and they explained that the schools do have access to the internet. Students from Brickdam Secondary, Leonora Secondary, and President’s College, pointed out that there is not an actual smart classroom in the schools but that students have access to the library and Information Technology room. A student from Brickdam also said that there are projector screens which are used by teachers and can be used for similar activates as a smart classroom would provide. Students at Queen’s College said that prior to this year there was not a smart classroom installed at the school.
It was also confirmed that government technical and vocational institutions as well as community offices have access to the E-government network, as Hughes stated.
