EACH year, during the month of September, we observe Education month and Indigenous Heritage Month. The simultaneous observances allow us the opportunity to recognise the progress we have made over the years in both areas, but also to work towards further development.

Last week, I read a beautifully written feature by the Newsroom on Minister of State, within the Ministry of the Presidency, Dawn Hastings- Williams. It made known that the humble Akawaio woman braved through less than optimum circumstances throughout her life to earn the position she is in today.

More than that, however, I believe the Minister Hastings-Williams’ story is one which points to a deeper connection between access to education and how this either promotes or limits the development of Guyana’s Indigenous peoples.

Now, Minister Hastings-Williams is the woman who currently bears the highest set of responsibilities within a ministry, which of itself has wide-reaching functions. But her story took shape in a humble classroom, which was an entire school, where she and the other students had limited resources. Some disparities exist due to the geographic differences between indigenous communities and coastal communities. There is also the cultural difference and the need to adapt when indigenous persons leave their communities and come to the coast to study or for work. These were both circumstances Minister Hastings-Williams, and so many other Indigenous persons endured and continue to endure.

I’d also like to direct focus to one of the top performers of this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, Amisha Ramdin.

When the results were announced last month, I interviewed Amisha over the phone that very night. She attended the St. Ignatius Secondary school in Region Nine, and secured 15 Grade One passes and Five Grade Two passes (that’s 20 subjects in total!). Amidst her relief and excitement, the young woman highlighted that she intended to show that even with fewer resources, she could be a top performer. Added to that, she wanted to bring some recognition to her indigenous community.

Frankly speaking, I have personally never heard of someone from any of the hinterland regions achieve such a feat. I’ve heard of many students from the hinterland who excelled at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and subsequently came to Georgetown to pursue their secondary education. But, I don’t recall ever hearing about someone from a hinterland region push past hundreds of students on the coast who have access to more resources.

I believe the reason it made me so happy to hear about her accomplishment was because of my own experiences at secondary school. I had a place in a top school, which provided me with access to a plethora of opportunities that made learning easier for me. And, I have travelled to a few indigenous communities to learn about their academic institutions and the educational opportunities there.

When I was in Moruca, I can recall a Deputy Headteacher sharing with me how long it takes for the school to get past papers to practise questions from. According to her, these papers are packed into boxes and sent on boats from Georgetown to this community. And at the time when I visited the community, internet connectivity was limited to the data connection provided by Digicel. Do you see why it is essential to have ICT hubs and other resources placed in regions like these? Meanwhile, I just had to walk a few steps over the Education Ministry’s Examinations Division, located right in my school’s compound, to collect past papers. Or, I could just go online and search for past papers, solutions and even textbooks. It’s the simple things like these that help me to remain grateful, and appreciative of efforts that are being made to provide easier access to educational opportunities for all.

The formal academic system is not the only avenue that facilitates learning; the indigenous people have- for aeons- had their own ways of engaging in knowledge transfer. I must acknowledge that the formal academic system may have led to the erosion of some indigenous culture due to its European influences (and this is why we have this push to relearn and reclaim indigenous languages now).
But the point I’m trying to make, nonetheless, is that education (whether in the formal academic system or not) is essential to the development of a person. And it is especially important in indigenous communities where there are disparities that exist in their access to education and livelihood opportunities.

Maybe there’s some great symbolism that underlies why we as Guyanese observe Education Month and Indigenous Heritage month together. And I believe that advancing avenues to promote the education of indigenous people and communities will only function to show that the education system is working and it is inclusive.