Dear Editor,
Education has been identified as the catalyst for the socio-economic transformation of Guyana. This mandate falls heavily to the Ministry of Education. Accordingly, the top priorities of this Ministry, as laid out in the Education Sector Plan 2021-2025 (ESP25) include: (1) improve the efficiency; (2) reduce inequities; (3) improve governance and accountability; (4) improve performance at all levels; and (5) contribute to lifelong learning and employability.
Minister Manickchand notes that the PPP/C government first 5-year Education Sector Plan (ESPs) was prepared in 1993 and that exercise continued until ESP 2014-2018. However, during the APNU+AFC’s term in office they did not produce any ESP. Instead, they worked with the World Bank to implement the $(US) 14 million Guyana Education Sector Improvement Project 2017-2022 (GESIP). The two stated objectives of the APNU+AFC project were: (1) improve teaching practices and students’ achievements in mathematics at primary, pre-primary and lower secondary level in selected schools (regions 1, 7, 8, and 9); and (2) strengthen the teaching capacity and improve the learning environment of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Guyana. The PPP/C government restored the Education Sector Plan (ESP25) for the period 2021 to 2025.
To help meet the development goals of the Education Sector Plan (ESP 25), the Ministry of Education has been granted the biggest sectoral budgetary allocation in 2023 of $(G) 94.4 billion. This works out to $(G) 472,000 (or $US 2,247) per capita student. This per capita amount is more than 4 times the amount spent in 2018. Apart from increased budgetary funding, the Ministry is also working to make the schools’ curricula reflective of the rapid social and physical developments taking place throughout the country. Thus great emphasis is placed on AI technology, computer coding, critical thinking, skills training, agriculture, mathematics, English, Spanish, and the sciences.
Coursera Plus (online teaching agency) assists with AI technology and computer science. Training in various skills areas such as carpentry, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, etc. is being conducted by the Ministry of Education’s Unit called TVET (Technical, Vocational, Educational Training). Between 2020 and 2022 record shows that 3,882 persons were trained at 10 TVET centers. Currently 6 new TVET centers are being constructed with 3 of those located in the hinterland regions. However most of the technical skills training fall under the Ministry of Labour (where 2,083 completed training in 2022 and 2,444 are in training). To a lesser degree, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce provides trading in the hospitality and oil/gas sector. (Data on graduates are not available). .
About students’ academic performance, Manickchand notes, “Our goal is to ensure that all our students matriculate,” while pointing out the significant role of teachers in the learning process. The need to impart quality education, has motivated her to move aggressively to have 100% of teachers in the system either trained or to be in training by 2025. She also talks about the measures they take and plan to take to help those students that lag in their studies.
While focus is given to the training of all teachers, the reduction of class size, the revision of the schools’ curricula, the construction of more schools, the upgrading of others and on enhancing security, the Minister cautions reporters “to be fair, and challenges them to state the truth, the facts, and to be discerning with information they receive from anonymous sources.” On the matter of school expansion, the Minister says that within 3 years they have built 6 Secondary Schools across the country.
These 6 Secondary schools have eased the overcrowding situation but have not solved it. There are still a few schools with overcrowding. The Minister says that the student to teacher ratio ought to be as follow: Kindergarten 15:1; Primary school 25:1; and Secondary school 35:1. She asserts that with the highest number of teachers ever to be graduated (N=2,300) on November 29, 2023, the student to teacher ratio will improve accordingly. The Ministry will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation.
While the PPP/C government is pleased that the United Nations has declared that Guyana has achieved universal primary education, there is still much more work to be done. Consequently, the PPP/C government plans to build 6 Primary schools across the country within the next two years. She reminds Guyanese that prior to the PPP/C demitting office in 2015, the IDB approved funds for the construction of 4 Secondary schools. However, during the APNU+AFC regime (2015-2020) “they failed to start and finish any single Secondary school.” Manickchand says that she is part of the PPP/C government that continues to work hard to win people’s support. She says, “The PPPC is never going to resort to rigging elections, so we know that we must work hard to win the hearts and minds through service to the people.” She compliments the staff at the Ministry of Education, teachers, and other support workers in the education system. The Minister knows that taking government to the people is the way to win their confidence and support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Tara Singh
