THE Regional Education Committee of the Upper Takatu/Upper Essequibo, Region 9, yesterday came out in support of the $208.8B 2013 Budget in light of the comments made by APNU Member of Parliament, Sidney Allicock, in the budget debate.
The Regional Committee Chairman of the

RDC, Mr. Alfred Ramsaran, said that over the years, education development in the Rupununi has been moving apace.
Presently there are four secondary schools in Region 9, namely Annai Secondary, Aishalton Secondary, Sand Creek Secondary and St. Ignatius Secondary, apart from the many
nursery and primary schools scattered around the region.
In 2010, the St. Ignatius Secondary School rated 73% of passes at exams, and in the following years, the school maintained that percentage of passes between Grades 1 and 3. Mr. Ramsaran, who is also Chairman of the school board, said that in 2011 the St. Ignatius Secondary introduced four new technical subjects in the school programme, in an effort to cater for the growing demands of the region.
These subjects are Electronic Document Separation Management (EDPM), Mechanical Engineering Technology, Electrical engineering technology and building technology. The Regional Education Committee has already identified a building to commence technical training in the skills required in the region, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education. It is unfortunate that the APNU Regional MP, Mr. Sidney Allicock, is not au fait with these developments in the field of education.
The Education Committee is therefore calling on the APNU MP, who was born in the Rupununi, and all concerned citizens of the Rupununi to join with the region in further enhancing education in the order to rapidly move the region forward.
The township of Lethem is growing daily, and the Education Committee and all concerned residents can help to educate its youths to take up positions in the region, not only as salespersons, but in every aspect of work, such as teachers, nurses, doctors, land surveyors, accountants, building contractors, interpreters and translators, among other careers.