– Guyana the best in the Caribbean in terms of prospects for youth says President Granger

GUYANA is on the brink of an educational evolution and to capitalise on it, Government has conceptualised a programme called “the decade of development, 2020-2029,” which President David Granger hopes will be fueled by some of the profits from the budding petroleum industry.

President Granger made those remarks during a conversation on youth development with a student of the University of Guyana, Vonetta Herman, on International Youth Day, which was celebrated on Monday.

He said if petroleum revenues come after 2020 in the amounts which the Government anticipates, they already have the concept for the decade of development for Guyana to work with.

Already, Government has placed much emphasis on the education sector. A sum of $52 billion was included in the 2019 budget for the sector.

“This is for education, this is for the young people…it is going into the reform of the curriculum, providing better access to education and building more schools,” said President Granger.

On the topic of building more schools, Government hopes that during the decade of development, there will be a first class secondary school in every region.
Over the years there have been six “top schools” in Guyana and the country has never been able to create other top grade secondary schools. President Granger said every year over 15,000 students, who write the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) try to get a spot in one of the “top schools.”

“My ambition is to have a first grade school in every region…it is a work in progress but we hope to bring education to the villages and regions,” said the President.
Focus will be placed on improving and making education available in the hinterland regions, since the President pointed out that there was a time when hinterland education was the stepchild of the education system.

Despite what would have occurred in the past, President Granger said it is part of his Government’s policy to take education to students and communities rather than having students travelling to the towns.

He believes that education is the most important thing because it will have an effect on equality and employment, so children in the hinterland must have equal access and opportunities.

“Education is going to open people’s eyes for the need for equality…having the necessary qualification will allow you to compete on an equal basis… all Guyanese are entitled to the same benefits,” said the President.

Being entitled to education is one thing, but being able to access education has been an issue which President Granger sought to resolve by distributing about 29 school buses, 14 boats and over 4,000 bicycles to communities so that children can go to school.
“We have been improving access and we have also been looking at the curriculum so that when they get to school they will be exposed to improved methods of teaching,” said President Granger.

With the advent of the petroleum industry, Government will also be looking to improve access in the sense of making education free from nursery to the tertiary level.
Free education is a constitutional entitlement and every Guyanese child, who qualifies, will benefit from free education, said President Granger.

“In the short term I would like to see students attend university by abolishing fees…university education will become free…everyone who matriculates will enter university,” said President Granger, adding that Government will also look to open new campuses in other areas such as the hinterland regions.
When all is done, the President hopes that Guyana will be the best educated nation in the Caribbean.

THE BEST
He already believes that Guyana is the best country in the Caribbean in terms of prospects for young people.

“I believe you all will inherit a prosperous country,” said the President, adding that when oil starts to flow, people will travel to Guyana to invest in various areas such as eco-tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, food processing and so much more.
There will be abundant job opportunities and even opportunities to become self-employed, said President Granger.

He made reference to the fact that a lot of young people are unemployed, but said that Government is doing things to correct the situation. Among the initiatives geared at correcting the situation are the Guyana Youth Corp, the Linden Enterprise Network Inc. (LEN) and Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) programme.
President Granger said the job opportunities are there and a lot more will be created with profit from the petroleum industry.

He encouraged young people to get into agriculture, packaging, manufacturing and even information technology.

Growth and development, however, leads back to education and the President believes that the cutting edge of education will be Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

“We have begun the process of education reform which involves, curriculum reformation, strategic planning and shifting to more technologically-enabled learning experience,” said Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry in her message on International Youth Day.

She said the Government is committed and determined to placing young people at the forefront of national development, making sure that- regardless of where they call home- all of the students must have equal access to the resources and opportunities that will allow them to cultivate their abilities and reach their full potential.

Here in Guyana, the Government is committed to achieving universal access to quality education. To this end, the ministry of education continues to work with stakeholders to improve the quality of education delivery.

The Youth Innovation Programme, the reintegration of our teenage mothers into formal education and the Public Education Transportation System (PETS) better known as the 5Bs are all initiatives that are rolling back inequality for thousands of Guyanese youth.
Under the theme “transforming education,” International Youth Day will examine how Governments, young people, youth-led and youth-focused organisations, as well as stakeholders are transforming education so that it becomes a powerful tool to achieve the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.

According to the United Nations, this theme is intended to highlight efforts to make education more inclusive and accessible for all youths, including efforts by youths themselves.

“I also on this occasion, endorse UNFPA’s position that the crucial role quality education plays in youth development is well recognised. In addition, comprehensive youth development benefits society –at-large….what is less known is the fact that young people themselves are active champions of inclusive and accessible education.

“Youth-led organisations, as well as individual youths, together with various stakeholders and Governments, are concretely transforming education so that it becomes a fundamental tool both for sustainable development and for the full inclusion of various social groups,” said Minister Henry.