St. MARGARET’s , Rose Hall Estate and Hampton Court primary schools have been adjudged the best child-friendly schools in Guyana in a keenly contested competition organised by the Education Ministry with support from UNICEF. The competition was open to primary schools in Regions 2 (Pomeroon Supenaam); 4 (Demerara/Mahaica); 6 (East Berbice /Corentyne) and Georgetown last year as part of activities to observe education month.
A Ministry of Education press release said the top three schools along with the three best schools in the participating education districts were honoured at a well-attended presentation ceremony held at the Theatre Guild, Kingston, Georgetown.
St. Margaret’s Primary of Georgetown, and the overall winner of the competition, received four computers and a refrigerator; second placed Rose Hall Estate Primary of Region 6 was presented with three computers, a refrigerator and a PA system; while Hampton Court Primary of Region 2 walked way with three computers, a television and a PA system.
The other winners, Diamond Special Needs Centre of Region 4 took away three computers, while Siriki Primary of Region 2; Number 36 Primary of Region 6; Winfer Gardens Primary of Georgetown; and Virginia Primary of Region 4 received two computers each.
Queenstown Primary of Region 2; Bohemia Primary of Region6; North Georgetown Primary, Georgetown; and St. Paul’s Primary of Region 4 were each presented with one computer.
Addressing the well-attended gathering at the Theatre Guild, Education Minister Shaik Baksh said that since the child-friendly schools were first piloted in 2007, pupils have been performing better at their examinations, the release noted.
Child-friendly schools, among other things focus on quality education delivery, a learner-centred approach to teaching, healthy school environments and the creation of learning environments that cater for pupils of varying learning abilities.
Baksh credited the improvement of pupils’ performance at the 2011 National Grade Six Assessment to the introduction of child-friendly environments in more schools, and said greater attention is being placed on making all schools child-friendly environments.
Guyana was recently lauded by a UNICEF report for the significant strides it has made in this regard.
Baksh pointed out that the goal is to create positive, supportive learning environments in all schools, more particularly at the primary level.
He explained that the aim is to ensure pupils leave the primary cycle able to master basic concepts in literacy and numeracy, so that they can make a smooth transition to secondary schools.
In all of this, the minister said, teachers have an important role to play, but that aside, parents need to get more involved in their children’s education and create an environment in the home that promotes learning.
Schools Welfare Officers will be visiting the homes of students considered to be “at risk” during the July/August holidays to counsel and assist them to access material support where necessary.
The Education Ministry is also looking at the establishment of a fund to help poor families send their children to school.
According to Baksh, the government is committed to ensuring every child receives a sound education and has embarked on a number of interventions in keeping with this thrust.
These interventions include: the introduction of school feeding programmes at all nursery schools and Grades One and Two at primary schools.
Learners at the nursery, primary and secondary levels are provided with free school uniforms, schools are provided with free text books, students from poor families are given subsidies to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examination (CSEC), among other interventions.
Government is also providing free transportation to students in the far-flung districts, and is looking to extend the programme to the coastal regions.
Principal Education Officer (Georgetown), Marcel Hutson, Deputy Chief Education Officer (Development) Bibi Ali and a representative from UNICEF also spoke at the event which featured several lively cultural performances from students.