President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday launched the new Education Television Broadcasting Service (ETBS) and stressed that it is more than an education channel.It is a new industry that will provide opportunities for Guyanese and revolutionise the delivery of educational material, the president said. The channel’s programming will begin airing today on Channel 29/Cable 80.
“This is a great initiative for our country,” he told a gathering of education sector stakeholders at the launching at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).
The Head of State observed that building on the Information Communication Technology (ICT) thrust that the new channel advances, Guyana can be catapulted forward.
ETBS is expected to be streaming its programmes in full swing in another three months, at which time the infrastructure, costing some US$1M to have the broadcast carried to all corners of Guyana, will be in place.
Jagdeo noted that by July, all three phases of the implementation plan will be rolled out and children in the South Rupununi will be able to access the information that children on the coast are exposed to.
Programmes are expected to include those that are locally produced, as well as others acquired from the region and other international sources – all in the interest of improving the education of Guyana’s children, as well as that of the general public.    
According to the President, the immediate and pressing concern is the ability of local producers to generate content.
He made it clear that while material is borrowed from regional and international sources, it must be country specific and reflective of the values that are in sync with Guyanese culture.
“We need good quality content,” Jagdeo posited.
The Head of State acknowledged that there will be teething problems in the beginning, as is the case with any new venture, but called for the support of all stakeholders.

Opportunity for Producers
On that note, he pointed out that the State will buy content that is produced by persons interested in developing quality content that is in line with the Education Ministry’s mandate.
Whether or not the material is suitable, the President said, is a matter to be decided by the ministry.
Addressing the issue of content, he made it clear that the education channel will be one that is “free from politics” as is featured on most of the other local channels.
Jagdeo said ETBS is vital for the country and will see the “creation of a new type of people” by promoting programming that broadens the knowledge base of Guyanese and also introduces them to new cultures – the aim being more tolerant, global citizens.
The Head of State reiterated that the introduction of ETBS is the introduction of a new industry that holds vast potential and possibilities for the Guyanese populace.

Supportive Role
Importantly too, Jagdeo maintained that the new channel plays a major supportive role for other initiatives, expressly the One Laptop per Family project – a move that can lead to other advances in the country.
He explained that with ETBS, mass training in the use of computers can be done; and if in five years each household is computer literate, then the possibilities are endless.
For instance, if more Guyanese are computer literate, then there is a chance for increased access to university level education via online programmes.
The president said the new channel is the levelling factor that is needed to fill the gaps that exist, when it comes to an educated nation.
He explained that while strategic plans are good, sometimes the method of delivery is where the shortcomings are, where the gaps lie, and in these situations, a review must be done to improve delivery of the service provided.
According to him, the results must reflect improved quality and value for money.
In that context, he applauded the committee team of education managers and professionals for their dedication in seeing a vision through to reality, in particular those from NCERD.

In this year’s budget some $24.3B has been allocated towards the continued successful implementation of the National Education Strategic Plan, over $21.8B in 2010.
Education Minister Shaik Baksh in making his remarks said the massive investment in the education sector is an investment in the Guyanese people by the Government of Guyana.
He pointed out that some 7.5 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is put into education – an investment that is higher than in many other developing countries.
Baksh said with the ETBS, the advancements in the sector will continue and will see both teaching and learning improved, since the programming is strongly linked to the sector’s curriculum.