…as President iterates gov’t support for STEM

MODERN science equipment, procured over a period of three years with funding from the Government of China, was, on Thursday, officially handed over to the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) by China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Cui Jianchun, in the presence of President David Granger.

Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry; the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Marcel Hutson; and Principal of CPCE, Viola Rowe, were among the officials who participated in the simple, but significant event. The equipment, already in full use, would allow for enhanced and advanced experiments at the CPCE as teachers undergo training there.

In his address, President Granger said cognisant of the shortages of laboratory equipment and reagents, he solicited the support of Ambassador Jianchun in October 2017 to re-equip and renovate the science laboratories at CPCE. “I was extremely unhappy with the state of the college’s science laboratories which had only two microscopes for 36 students. I reached out to the ambassador for assistance to help to remedy this unacceptable state of affairs,” President Granger explained.

Within weeks of that October meeting, the People’s Republic of China signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ministry of Education, paving the way for the disbursement of US$231,800 or approximately GYD$50M for the renovation and upgrade of the laboratories at the college. President Granger said it is important for teachers to be trained in environments that would allow them to effectively master new pedagogies, techniques and technologies. Stating clearly that there is no place for an untrained teacher in the country’s future education sector, he said trained teachers are central to achieving an education system that produces graduates equipped with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values for personal and national development.

As it fosters growth within the Education Sector, government, the President said, is placing tremendous emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in alignment with its vision of transforming Guyana into a “green state”.

The provision of funds for the procurement of the science equipment represents the second promise kept, in the field of education, by the Chinese Embassy here since the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government took office in 2015. In October, 2016, the government, with the support of the Chinese Embassy under the stewardship of Ambassador Zhang Limin, launched the One Laptop per Teacher Initiative. Since then, approximately 9,000 teachers were presented with laptops to aid in their practice.

“The OLPT Initiative re-asserts the importance of education to the nation; acknowledges the role of information in education and the value of our teachers in the delivery of that information to our students and augments other investment in teacher training; and initiated the process modernising ICT development, starting with educators – the brain of our public education system,” President Granger explained.

It was noted that China’s support for education is evident in the assistance offered under the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Government of Guyana and the Government of China for Grant Aid, which will be used for the development of the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service. It was under this agreement that the science laboratories at CPCE were upgraded.

He told Ambassador Jianchun that Guyana anticipates continued international cooperation in education as it rolls out its Decade of Development in 2020. The Decade, he explained, will accord the highest importance to education, and will allow for, at some stage, the constitutional provision of free education from nursery to university.

“The ‘Decade’ will ensure a school in every village so that children do not have to travel long distances to attend school. The Decade will result in the provision of a first-class education for our children,” President Granger detailed.

Ambassador Jianchun said the contribution of US$231,800 in science equipment to CPCE is in keeping with a commitment made more than two years ago to President Granger, his government and people of Guyana.

He explained that upon his arrival in January, 2017, President Granger, during their initial deliberations, identified education as a critical foundation for the development of the country. Ambassador Jianchun said the Chinese Embassy was pleased to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Education for the disbursement of US$231, 800, in three tranches, for the procurement of science equipment for CPCE’s Laboratory. “From 2017 to 2019, we managed to complete all three disbursements and were glad to learn that until early this month, all the deliveries were also fulfilled. I have confidence that the procured equipment will make an important contribution to the development of CPCE’s Science Department,” the Chinese Ambassador said.

He said that with over 47 years of profound friendship, China stands committed to strengthening its relationship with Guyana through various programmes and projects in the area of education and other critical sectors. “China will continue its assistance and support within its capacity for Guyana’s development and stands ready to work with Guyana to upgrade our relations to a new level,” Ambassador Jianchun reassured Guyanese.
Within the next five to 10 years, the oil and gas sector will be the driving force for the development in the country, the Chinese Ambassador predicted, while noting that in the not so distant future, China and Guyana, will also be in a position to take their relations to a higher level.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry said the equipment, consumables and reagents will enhance the science capabilities of CPCE to more effectively discharge its mandate. “Education is indeed the key for the development of a country. In China, it is often said, when the youth are educated, then the country is educated. When the youth are strong then the country is strong. If we are to extrapolate that and look around the world, we see those countries that are strong and respected, are strong in education, those that are advanced, are advanced in education,” Dr. Henry said.

Here in Guyana, as other parts of the world, more focus is being placed Science. She said as a result, educational institutions are mandated to upgrade for the betterment of human resources, skills, capacity building and emerging industries.

“People learn best through involvement as learning is not passive in nature. Certainly we cannot limit learning to words alone; our teachers and school learners are the most important school based drivers of student outcomes. Seminal research conducted in many settings showed that high performing teachers can improve students’ performance by more than 50 per cent over a three year period. These studies also show that an outstanding principal that is focused on instructional and not only administrative leadership can raise student outcomes by 20 per cent over the same period. Therefore, opportunities that build the capacity of our teachers and leaders in education in most valued,” the education minister reasoned.

At the CPCE, she said, the added equipment will allow both lecturers and students to have an improved experience. This experience will be later shared in classrooms when science teachers, upon their completion at CPCE, are deployed to schools across the country.

Principal of CPCE, Viola Rowe; and Science Lecturer, Reshana LaRose, who provided President Granger and Ambassador Jianchun with a tour of the Biology, Chemistry and Physics Laboratories, said the teachers in training are now able to effectively conduct experiments, now that the labs are well equipped for advanced learning.

The upgrade of the laboratories at CPCE comes at a time when the government is repositioning the education sector advancements in new and developing sectors.