-President says game can help rebuild entrepreneurial class in Guyana
Through the innovation that crafted the Mastermind Quiz Corner online game for children between 10 and 12 years old, their progress can be tracked and this information can aid teachers in tailoring programmes to suit the specific needs of a particular child whose abilities may show prowess in one area and weakness in others. This is according to Kevin Sukhdeo, one of the technical persons responsible for the refinement of the game’s concept and the development of the website.
“We are looking at involving teachers in schools, since the programme can generate information on the subject areas that a student might be weak of strong in,” Sukhdeo said. He added that this information would be useful in crafting education delivery methods geared expressedly at addressing the areas of weakness while complementing the areas in which the student is strong.
According to the game’s webmaster, Girendra Persaud, the game engine records a detailed performance profile for each player where scores are recorded for each subject area. “This feature makes the game very useful for parents/teachers or guardians to accurately see the strengths and weaknesses in the various subject area for the player,” Persaud said.
President pleased with Mastermind Quiz Corner
“I wish to congratulate the Guyana Chronicle and all of those who worked on developing this very wonderful programme. I think it is going to make a big difference among our kids. As we reinforce this competitive behaviour in a collegial kind of atmosphere, it also expands the knowledge base of our kids; so I am very, very pleased with it,” said the President at the launch of the game.
“We have been investing a lot of resources in education because of the importance of it, not only in a routine way for the development of the country but because the world today values the knowledge-based sectors. The largest volumes of wealth in the future will be created in that sector. Even today, you see trends of this emerging rapidly. So if Guyana wants to catapult its way forward, that is to have huge growth in terms of income, it has to prepare itself for operation in the new knowledge-based global economy,” the President stressed.
This is why we have decided that the traditional methods have served their purposes, but we need new methods of delivery that would reach larger numbers of people with better quality services, which would then give us that push forward; the stimulus to move forward at scale,” the President said.
He noted that NCERD had been preparing a significant volume of material, the Government has just launched a learning channel, “which will expand opportunities and access to quality educational information, not just for children across Guyana but for everyone,” he said.
He said that anything that supplements the Government’s push in the education sector and more so having to do with information technology is welcomed. He announced that he was pleased with what he called a “wonderful venture by the Guyana Chronicle and the wonderful staff there” to contribute to this national effort to educate and stimulate our children,” adding that such an initiative could only be commended.
“I congratulate all of those involved. I hope that all Guyanese get on board, not just children, because there are a lot of things there that many adults don’t know,” he said.
The President opined that the children who play the game might also be able to teach their parents some of the issues that the quiz’s questions raise.
“Let’s get everyone involved. Because the more we know of our country and the more we learn to love this country, particularly the youths who have to build your future, [will be to the country’s future benefit],” the President said.
“We will support this venture. You will get all of the prizes you need and everything else. But we are not just playing for the prizes, but because we are competitive people, Guyanese people. This helps in many other ways. Competition breeds entrepreneurial behaviour,” he pointed out.
“We lost a class of entrepreneurs when we pursued a different path in the past. We need to rebuild that class of entrepreneurs. Many of you will emerge as the new leaders of Guyana. That is what we are hoping for,” he told the children gathered at the launch.