THANK you for allowing me to voice my views on some of the improvement we see happening in the education sector. Education is a huge undertaking and one that is focus on the nurturing of skills and the talent of our people. In order to create a strong basis for the sustainable development of their countries, well-developed nations have all spent much effort formulating education policies. These education policies have been implemented to develop the full potential of individual citizens and to increase the overall quality of life. Guyana has become concerned with the question of how to establish the best education system for developing capable and well-rounded citizens. There are debates over the way in which Guyana’s education system should develop. This government reacted immediately with measures to meet the demands of society. At 1991 35% of children were enrolled in both primary and secondary schools, today that figure rose to about 70%. CXC passes used to be under 50% today it’s approximately 80%. The Ministry of Education has contributed by building 84 more primary and secondary schoolS, rehabilitating schools, increasing number of trained teachers, facilitating more access to primary and secondary education within the hinterland region, improving educational infrastructure, enhancing and revising school syllabuses, University of Guyana has moved beyond Demerara and is also in Berbice, just to name a few. The mission of the Ministry of Education is to eliminate illiteracy, to modernise education and to strengthen tolerance.
The Ministry of Education focused on three major initiatives: Improving the Quality of the Teaching Force in the Hinterland, Enhancing the Teaching/Learning Environment in Primary Schools, and Strengthening School Community Partnerships. The people of Guyana will continue to see improvement in the education sector, as teachers will become more professional, students will gain a solid foundation by the establishment of a high quality education system that is in progress; and the overall workforce will improve to a more skilled and competitive one.