Esteemed UK-based Guyanese educationist Sir Dexter Hutt has expressed deep concerns about the state of education in Guyana, pointing to outdated practices and highlighting its troubling performance compared to other South American countries and some Caricom neighbours.
Hutt, who recently visited Guyana after some 50 years, said that according to statistics he has reviewed, Guyana’s literacy rate is the lowest among the 12 countries of South America. Further, Sir Dexter said, “I looked up the stats online. Guyana’s literacy rate is … lower than Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and St Kitts. You wonder why that is.”
The decorated, but now retired school leader, who said he has a high regard for the intelligence and capability of Guyanese, expressed his disappointment at the current state of the education system. “Guyanese have always been bright,” he remarked. “I think highly of Guyanese, so I’m a bit taken aback. There seems to be generations of talented, hardworking Guyanese. If I were growing up now, I’d want to stay and contribute to the country.”
Addressing the government’s approach to education, he questioned whether there was a clear and communicated vision for the future. “If a Martian came down in ten years’ time, I’d like to think the government has a vision that is shared with the people,” Sir Dexter said. “What is the vision for education in ten years? Has it been shared with the people? What is the future of the education system for the children who are here in ten years’ time? What can the people look forward to? People can be patient if there is a vision; it’s not the same as tweaking where one part of society gets and everybody else is sitting waiting.”
Sir Dexter also expressed concern over the recent teachers’ strikes and the government’s response, which he found dismissive. “When I read the comments about the teachers’ strike in the Chronicle, it seemed as if the government was doing the teachers a favour,” he said. “It almost seems begrudging.”
The issue of school grading and its impact on teachers was another point of concern. He suggested that grading schools inherently grades teachers as well, affecting expectations and morale. “If you have schools graded, you’re grading teachers as well,” he said. “If a teacher works at a Grade D school, they are labelled as a teacher from a Grade D school. The biggest single factor in achievement is expectations—what students, teachers, and parents expect.”
Drawing from his experiences in England, Sir Dexter compared the outdated practices he perceived in Guyana’s education system with those previously employed in England. He highlighted how England has moved past such systems, which once set lower expectations for schools in poorer areas. “England had a system where if you lived in a poor postcode, the expectation from the educational authorities was that it was okay not to achieve much,” he explained. “That’s gone now. The expectation is that you should achieve regardless of your background.”
Sir Dexter also pointed out that England’s educational landscape has evolved significantly since the introduction of comprehensive all-ability schools in 1972, now known as academies. These schools cater to students across the ability spectrum within the local area, with teachers on a standardised pay structure. The autonomy for organising classes and teaching methods lies with each school, which is inspected and judged not solely on raw exam results but also on the progress students made from their individual starting points. He stressed that the focus was on the progress students made, rather than just the final exam results.
Infrastructure issues within schools were also a significant concern for Sir Dexter. He described poor physical conditions at Mackenzie High School, mentioning long grass and flaking paint, and criticised the expectation that teachers should maintain their own classrooms. “Teachers apparently have to look after their own classrooms,” he said. “It’s not a teacher’s job to buy things for a classroom. Schools should get a budget to spend as they see fit.”
In response to that concern, Education Minister Priya Manickchand acknowledged the challenges but stated that shifting budgetary control to schools was not currently under consideration. “That is not being considered now,” she said. “Plus, you would have many different standards. Some Headmasters might use the budget for one thing while others might use it differently.”
Sir Dexter also called for substantial reforms, suggesting a programme he described as “building schools for the future.” He emphasised the need for a comprehensive review of the education system in light of the current economic opportunities presented by Guyana’s oil boom. “Guyana has an amazing opportunity with the oil boom,” he said. “It’s a perfect time to reassess our current systems and improve them. People are far more capable than they think they are. We need to stop accepting the limitations placed on us.”
