EDUCATION Minister Shaik Baksh yesterday appealed to stakeholders to see science and technology as transformative agents of development as the ministry strengthens the push to stimulate students’ interest in these two fields.
Addressing scores of students, teachers, education officials and representatives of both the private and public sectors at the Education Ministry Sports Complex on Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, Baksh pointed out that the science and technology trajectory is the way forward for Guyana.
Science and technology are major planks of the ministry’s 2008-2013 education strategic plan. The science and technology components of the plan dovetail with the national vision to harness these two areas to accelerate the country’s growth and development.
The importance of these two areas has also been amply highlighted in the National Development Strategy, the National Competitiveness Strategy, the Poverty Reduction Strategy, and more recently, the Low Carbon Development Strategy.
Science and technology are not limited to a particular field, but are wide-ranging, and are a sine qua non in several sectors including health, agriculture, climate change and biodiversity.
Baksh told the well-attended gathering which included acting President Samuel Hinds that Guyana’s development as a nation in the 21st century rests heavily on harnessing and maximizing the use of technology, and giving greater attention to research in science and technology
The development of local human resources to build a vibrant, knowledge-based economy, the minister noted too is crucial in the drive to propel economic growth and national development, and give Guyana the recognition it deserves.
Guyana has been taking several bold steps in this direction, mainly through the One LapTop Per Family Programme that will soon come on stream; the installation of a fibre optic cable from Brazil to boost internet connectivity throughout the country; the establishment of the Guyana Learning Channel to facilitate education delivery countrywide, including the far-flung regions; the development of computer laboratories at all primary and secondary schools; and the establishment of a state-of-the-art biodiversity centre at the University of Guyana.
Some 3,000 teachers have already been trained to use the computer as a teaching and learning tool, and this year, some 2,000 more are being trained. These developments collectively, Baksh said, are geared to bridge the digital divide and transform the social, infrastructural, and economic landscapes of Guyana.
Baksh also stressed that efforts are being made to promote the importance of science and technology at the primary and secondary levels, and noted that greater attention is being placed on the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) to develop the cadre of professionals that will bring about the desired changes.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, briefly recounting the growth of technology in the past 30 years, said the advancement in this period has been significant, pointing to the evolution of the computer and cell phones to name a few.
The prime minister, a chemical engineer by training said too that science and technology have revolutionized the way things are done, pointing out that these two fields play important roles in practically every aspect of development today.
He said that science and technology are not  magic potions for development, noting that activism and Guyanese working together will help Guyana to go leaps and bounds in bringing about the change the country desires.
On this score, he lauded the Education Ministry and the leadership of Minister Baksh for plugging science and technology as  vital tools for development. UNICEF Senior Information Technology Specialist Anand Parmanand and Education Month 2011 convenor, Bibi Ali, also spoke at the one-day event.
The fair featured booths from some 55 private and public sector entities including the Institute of Applied Science and Technology, the University of Guyana, Global Technology, Digicel, a co-sponsor of the event, the National Centre for Educational Resource and Development and the Guyana Learning Channel.
The booths capture the country’s latest developments in science and technology and serve as a stimulus to encourage students to pursue careers in these fields.