–Finance Minister assures Leguan residents

WITH a staggering $52B already invested in the education sector for this year, Finance Minister Winston Jordan on Sunday said the government will continue to boost the critical sector as the push for “an educated Guyana” continues.

As part of a wider ministerial outreach to communities in Region Two (Essequibo Island-West Demerara), Minister Jordan met with residents of Leguan at the Success Primary School on Sunday.

He said the education sector has become one of the focal points of the Coalition Government, particularly its leader, President David Granger. Minister Jordan said President Granger will go down in history as “Guyana’s Education President”.

“When you have a meeting with him, when he speaks to you, he talks about education and what can we do to lift the standards of education in Guyana,” Minister Jordan said.
The Head of State has been pushing policies for the renewal of the education sector. He recently announced the ‘Decade of Development’ commencing in 2020, where education will see a remarkable transformation, including free education from nursery to university from the proceeds of the coming oil wealth.

“Our government, which is spending $52B on education in 2019, is expected to ramp up that amount in the next five years, during our second term in office,” Minister Jordan assured the residents of the Leguan.

Although the allocation is the highest to have been allocated to any of the sectors, he said the government recognises that there is still more to be done. Among those things to be done are accessing more qualified teachers, bringing more Internet services to all classrooms, and re-examining teaching methods.

The Finance Minister said the administration continues to invest in the education as well as other sectors. Increases to teachers’ salaries in 2018 is one such example. He noted that this year’s salary increases have captured teachers, nurses and members of the Disciplined Services, an equal distribution of the good life.

Meanwhile, Minister Jordan again took his message of unity to the community, reiterating that there can be no progress if disunity persists. He urged all to join hands and hearts together and examine how all can benefit from the better life on the horizon.

(DPI)