PARFAIT Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, is one of the largest housing developments in Guyana, with 8,000 house lots being distributed by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government. In other fast developing communities such as this one, government has been making significant investments to ensure residents have access to much needed services, including education. Such is evident in Diamond where a secondary school was built and construction is on-going on a primary school both with the capacity to house 1,000 pupils.
Yesterday, the new $53.8M Parfait Harmonie primary school was officially commissioned. The community is still in need of a nursery school, and Education Minister Shaik Baksh announced that provisions are being made in the 2012 national budget for its construction.
He added that there are 10 more schools to be commissioned around the country.  Minister Baksh emphasised that the schools being built, particularly primary and secondary, in the new housing developments must have the capacity to accommodate 1,000 pupils.
The minister made reference to the ‘C’ Field Sophia nursery school which was commissioned on Thursday, and reiterated that by 2013, all children who are three years nine months must be enrolled in the pre-primary level.
He explained that this level of learning will become compulsory, so that children can commence preparation for the primary level at an early age. Importantly, this will push the Ministry’s aim to ensure all pupils are able to read, write and understand by the end of Grade 2. Minister Baksh noted that an assessment will be done to determine the reading and writing abilities of students and the school that attain above 85 percent.
The presence of schools in the various housing developments, points to the fact that the pupils are from diverse backgrounds and communities, hence it is of utmost importance that teachers have the requisite skills to identify the slow learners early, and structure their lessons to meet each child’s needs. In this regard, the ministry has revamped the curriculum at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) to ensure trainee teachers are also knowledgeable about the sociological and psychological factors that affect children’s learning.            With regard to truancy, Minister Baksh urged parents and teachers to ensure students attend school regularly. He also called on the teachers to be regular, since this ensures they complete the curriculum in a timely manner while the students get the education they so deserve. Minister Baksh highlighted that Region Three’s performance at the National Grade Six Assessment has been consistent, with the region ranking third, and it is his hope that the students at the Parfait Harmonie School will contribute to the region’s advancement in rank at the exams. He added that educational standards are in place to foster the consistent improvement of results.
The minister informed the gathering that his ministry is working on a proposal which will see the establishment of a special fund to assist needy families, thereby empowering them to send their children to school. Regional Education Officer, Marlyn Jones O’Donohue, indicated that the new building provides a more conducive teaching, learning experience. She called on the students to leave their footprints in the sands of achievement and not on the walls and furniture. The new school was funded by the Government of Guyana and the Caribbean Development Bank, and implemented by the Basic Needs Trust Fund.