– set up US$300,000 learning resource centre at Cove and John Ashram
Government has been dedicating resources towards accelerating the advancement of information technology in its efforts to modernise the education system and as such has been implementing and fostering the establishment of learning resources centres across the country.

Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud checking out books in the library

Other interest groups and organisations aiding the government’s drive to improve learning for all categories of Guyanese are seen as a positive initiative, one which the administration welcomes.

One interest group to come on board, comprising four overseas Guyanese and an organization, has extended its generosity to assist the children attending the Hindu College, at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara. Saturday, the Zara Learning Centre at the Cove and John Ashram was officially opened in the presence of Minister of Education Shaik Baksh, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, who is performing duties of the Prime Minister, and Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran, along with the benefactors.

The resource centre is an initiative of Mr. and Mrs. Jay Sobhraj, Mr. Nardeo Singh, Mr. Sarvan Budhu, and Zara Luxury Apartments and Houses, all of the United States. The centre is equipped with a library, computer graphic centre, video/audio centre, copy centre and business presentation centre. The supporters spent about US$300,000 on this venture.

Delivering the feature address, Minister Baksh noted that this venture is consistent with Government’s ideology of transforming the education system to meet the needs of a developing Guyana. He noted that over the years, the education sector has been receiving the largest budgetary allocation and contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product.

Paramount to Government’s modernising initiative, which sees the education sector working along with the 2006 Information Communication Technology Strategy, is its Education Strategic Plan 2008-2013 that outlines that within the five-year period all secondary schools in Guyana will be equipped with computer laboratories.

The benefactors with Education Minister Shaik Baksh, at right. From left, Nardeo Singh, Sylvia Sobhraj, Sarvan Budhu and Jay Sobhraj.

The Minister explained that this initiative has been endorsed by President Bharrat Jagdeo who has recommended that funding for the computerisation of all secondary schools must be included in the 2010 budget.

It was further noted that within this five-year period, Government will be working towards computerising at least 50% of primary schools across the country.

To accommodate this development, the Government has been expanding its horizon to provide proper infrastructure. He reminded that the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company recently brought in a cable which will boost internet connectivity. In addition Government has commenced discussions to bring in another fiber optic cable through the Brazil route to increase accessibility to the internet.

However, the key component of having access to technology is the human resource capacity to fully utilise the services provided. With regard to the education system, the Ministry will continue its training programmes to widen the technological knowledge of teachers in the public schools and if necessary, in private schools.

The Ministry has been working with Microsoft, the Commonwealth of Learning and the Commonwealth Secretariat to train teachers; and over the past six months, 600 teachers have benefitted, Minister Baksh said.

The computers will be utilised as teaching and learning tools in schools and will see the utilization of software equipped with the necessary content that will transform the school system. He noted that the Ministry will be implementing the Success Maker in approximately 60 primary schools which will increase the learning capacity of the students.

He pledged to donate one Success Maker Tool Kit along with other learning software to the Zara Learning Centre.

He told the attendees that there are 11 learning resource centres established in hinterland regions, and Government is examining the possibility of setting up more in other areas.

Meanwhile, Minister Persaud, pointing to the rapid rate of technological development, said technologies are recognized to be critical to improving quality of life, enhancing productivity and efficiencies of both the public and private sectors, and providing a competitive advantage in many areas, including agriculture, health, finance and education and tourism.

He said that Government recognizes that the telecommunications and ICT sectors will develop even more dramatically in a fully liberalised, open, competitive market.

The library in the Zara Learning Resource Centre at the Cove and John Ashram.

“As we move to encourage the development of an open market, we look also to put in place the regulations that will ensure protection for users and encourage responsible use of the services. In this regard, we are also preparing legislation to regulate electronic transactions in terms of facilitating such transactions through legal recognition of electronic signatures and of contracts entered into electronically, and to provide the legal basis for electronic payments while we also provide for data protection and include provisions on electronic crimes, including identity theft.”

He also addressed other significant efforts to advance and modernise the Guyanese society and economy, and one project in keeping with this is “the establishment of a robust fibre optic cable backbone along the coastland from the border with Suriname in the east, all the way to the township of Anna Regina in the west, a distance of some 260 km. This fibre optic backbone will be complemented by deployment of

WiMax and EVDO technologies. This network will later be built out to include more remote, interior locations.”

Jay Sobhraj, proprietor, said that in 2007 they donated the equipment for the Ashram’s first computer centre.

Recognizing that there is need for more development, they installed more computers and created the Big Brother, Big Sister Programme to assist about 80 children to enhance their literacy skills.

Mrs. Sobhraj and Nardeo Singh, another benefactor, were students of the Ashram and their contribution was seen as giving back to their alma mater.

The library is computerised and according to Singh, this would create a record of the library’s collections. In line with the books are interactive videos for easier learning.