MINISTER of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony has said that, in scientific terms, the education system can be viewed as the DNA (deoxyribo nucleic acid) for the transmission of Guyana’s rich heritage. He made the pronouncement while addressing the audience at the National Museum, in Georgetown, at the opening of a special exhibition for International Day for Monuments and Sites 2013, which was celebrated yesterday under the theme ‘Heritage of Education: Its expressions in Guyana’s Context.’
According to Dr Anthony, heritage, basically, is transmitted in the schools from one generation to another and through the education system, which is more formal as compared to previous years.
He pointed out that the showing, which was done by the National Trust of Guyana in collaboration with a number of institutions including the Ministry of Education, presents the opportunity to highlight the development of Guyana’s learning system.
The minister indicated, further, that there are a lot of achievements to be celebrated in that regard, adding that he hopes this show helps to get persons thinking about the education heritage.
Minister Anthony said perhaps they can work with the Education Ministry to establish heritage clubs in schools so that they can foster interest in the country’s history from a very early age and encourage teachers and students to think about it.

HERITAGE STRUCTURES
He pointed out that many of the places in Guyana where persons were taught, as well as various schools, church and community buildings can be considered as heritage structures.
Anthony commended the National Trust for its hard work in the preservation of Guyana’s heritage, while highlighting that more research still needs to be done in order to document the country’s history.
He said the National Trust has been doing a great job in going around the country and identifying various heritage sites, working on their preservation and bringing them to the notice of the Guyanese population.
The minister stated that the preservation of the different heritage sites and monuments countrywide is very important and appealed to all Guyanese to preserve them for the current and future generations to enjoy.
“If we don’t have this kind of national consciousness, then a lot of the country’s monuments would be continuously defaced,” he cautioned.
Dr Anthony posited that more also needs to be done so that persons living in separate communities are educated on the importance of these heritage sites in the history of the country.
The exhibits, which will be on show until May 3, include the display of information on the basic rules when visiting heritage sites, historical educational institutions in Guyana, the evolution of education and significant monuments and locations in Guyana.
International Day for Monuments and Sites was inaugurated on April 18, 1982, by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at its 22nd General Conference in 1983.