HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, on Thursday rejected A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU’s) for a commission of inquiry into Guyana’s education sector.

As he addressed members of the media at his weekly post-cabinet press briefing, Dr. Luncheon said this sentiment was an extremely unfavourable one, since what has been seen in this sector is results-oriented and sustained commitment by successive People’s Progressive Party administrations.
Dr Luncheon said that APNU has access to all of the pertinent information on the education sector, even dating back to the period 1964-1992, when the country was under the People’s National Congress administration.
Dr. Luncheon added that relevant documentation is also available from the time the PPP administration took office in 1992, and it is evident that sustained investments have been made, including financial investments and the implementation of national strategic plans.
He highlighted the country’s achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education, which was achieved in 2012, and he said that is not something that “just happens.”
“Those of us who are or have been parents of children in the nursery, primary, secondary or technical areas over successive periods have been able to attest to this PPP/Civic administration’s commitment, and sustained commitment, in this sector,” Luncheon asserted.
He said cabinet expressed satisfaction following the assessment of the performance of students at the 2013 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CESC) and Caribbean Advanced proficiency (CAPE) examinations.
Dr. Luncheon also said that cabinet contended that the investment to improve equity in access has paid off, as is evident when the results of students’ performances in the other regions of Guyana are considered.
He said the consistent improvement of performance nationally, regionally, and geographically was noted, and education Minister Priya Manickchand was commended on the sustained efforts by her ministry to maintain the trend of improvement in the sector.
Dr. Luncheon said cabinet remained aware of the sustained levels of support given to the sector by successive PPP administrations, and annual increases in budgetary allocations to the public sector in education was documented even in the face of student losses to the thriving private sector at the nursery, primary, secondary and technical levels.
He highlighted the satisfaction and internal recognition with the achievement of the millennium development goal of universal primary education and the plans for universal secondary education, which put the future of the education sector of Guyana in the hands of the PPP administration.
Dr. Luncheon acknowledged that challenges do exist in the sector and are being confronted and overcome, and he said if the opposition party and other skeptics were to view the situation in a balanced way and put their prejudices behind them, they would also commend the Education Minister for the work that has been done, and the plans for even more work to be done.