-to boost education access in those communities

THE National Volunteer Teacher’s Programme (NVTP), which is a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Education and Youth Challenge Guyana, last Monday dispatched 50 volunteer teachers to remote areas in Guyana where they will assist in boosting the education system in those regions.

According to Executive Director of Youth Challenge Guyana, Dmitri Nicholson, the Programme which is a partnership between the Ministry of Education, Youth Challenge Guyana and Cuso International, aims primarily to

increase access to education for children in remote parts of the country.
He noted that volunteer teachers are primarily placed in Regions 1, 8 and 9. However, more recently because there are other remote parts of the country such as parts of Regions 2, 3 and 4, volunteers are now stationed in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9.
Ms. Nadine Sanchara, Education Programme Manager also explained that to date, 50 volunteer teachers have been sent to these regions.
“Last year we had 53 volunteer teachers and a total of 1,537 students were reached. There were 27 placement schools; 26 primary schools and one secondary school being Paramakatoi Secondary,” she said, noting that financing is provided by the Ministry of Education.
Of the total number of students reached, the Programme Manager disclosed that 83.7 per cent improved in their attendance while 82.4 per cent improved in their academic performance.
The attendance and academic performance however, according to Nicholason, are attributed to the volunteers actually being in the schools teaching. This though, is not limited to just the classroom as extra-curricular activities are mandatory in the programme.
“The volunteers are required once they are in a school to develop a project in which they implement that can bring a social benefit outside of the classroom. So they will be assisted to develop a project plan where they can use their skills to enhance the lives of the children. We’ve had volunteer teachers help children with music lessons after school, teaching about hygiene, youth clubs and other out-of-class activities” Nicholson said.
From this term also, coaching sessions will be provided to the volunteers by the Education Programme Manager and another personnel who are equipped to train the volunteers. The coaching sessions will be taken to the classrooms where the officials will sit and observe the teaching style and patterns of the volunteers and render assistance to them in areas where improvements are needed.
“We would also like more companies to support the cause because persons give one year of their time to support the community in which they teach and we would like more private companies to recognise and value volunteerism as a part of economic development that can benefit the private sector because they not only get to help the community but they get to help develop their skills where they can actually become beneficial to companiesm,” Nicholson urged.
To date over 100 volunteer teachers have been placed in schools across the more remote regions of Guyana.
Volunteer teachers are selected through an application processes, interviewed, trained and are then assigned school placements. Volunteers are provided with the necessary support to sustain themselves socially as well economically over their period of placement. The hope is that they use the NVTP as a motivational stepping stone to pursue careers in teaching or as an opportunity for retired teachers to offer a much needed community service.

(By Ravin Singh)