THE reduction in students’ drop-out rates at secondary schools can be directly attributed to the redesigned schools’ curriculum, in which more attention is given to technical and vocational education.
The minister also pointed out that another factor may be that parents are paying more interest in their children’s education, and that government’s interventions, such as the school feeding and the school uniform programmes, and the truancy campaigns among other supportive interventions, are bearing fruit.
Given these changed statistics, the minister said, the drop-out rates at both primary and secondary schools have declined by 50 per cent within the last five years.
Addressing more than 700 students, teachers and parents present at the graduation ceremony for the Secondary School Competency Certification Programme (SCCP) last week, Minister Baksh underscored the importance of the programme, which was designed with the aim of improving students’ attendance, reducing school drop-outs, and enhancing the quality and relevance of technical and vocational education at the grades nine and ten levels.
He noted that SCCP was introduced to ensure that the system responds comprehensively to the country’s needs by means other than academic initiatives.
Alluding to the success of the initiative, Baksh said, “The programme has already begun to deliver on its projected targets, as drop-out rates have decreased by half, which in itself is an achievement for Guyana.”
Under the SCCP, students are given opportunity to pursue courses in language and communication, mathematics, integrated science and general studies, agricultural science, industrial technology, home economics and visual arts.    
The ultimate goal of SCCP is to provide students who are not academically inclined with an opportunity to learn a skill that will make them employable on completion of the programme.
The minister disclosed that the Education Ministry will ensure that every child in the school system receives an education, is molded with the right mindset, and is able to make a meaningful contribution to society.
The drop-out rate has been on a consistently downward trend, moving from 12 per cent in 2005 to 11 per cent in 2006. It declined to nine per cent in 2007; in 2008 and 2009, the rate remained at six per cent, but dropped to 5.5 per cent in 2010, Baksh informed the audience.
Meanwhile, at the primary level, the drop-out rate has also declined over the past five years, moving from four per cent in 2005 to two per cent in 2010.
During this period, the rate fluctuated from four per cent in 2005 to 4.6 per cent in 2006, but declined to four per cent in 2007.
Recently, some 758 students countrywide graduated from the SCCP programme at a ceremony held at the National Cultural Centre, as opposed to the 502 students who graduated last year.