MINISTER of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine has commended the Al Ghazali Islamic Academy for their dedication to serving the education needs of orphans and other vulnerable and marginalised children. 

Speaking at the academy’s graduation ceremony on Saturday last, the minister remarked that enough was not being done in Guyana and in the world to meet the needs of those without the means to access equal education.
“I am therefore glad to see that institutions such as the Central Islamic Organisation (GIOG), through this programme, is prepared and is playing its part to level the playing field between those who have and those who don’t have access to education in our society,” the minister added.
Dr Roopnaraine said as the Minister of Education, he is “committed to end any form of unequal access that exists in our society, between those who are more and those who are less privileged.”
He added that the Government is prepared and is willing to engage in constructive dialogue with religious and other civic organisations in developing programmes and projects to ensure that every child has equal access to education.
The minister thanked CIOG for its continuous commitment to providing quality education to Guyana’s children.  He said the organisation is mindful of its duty laid out to Muslims in the Quaran, which is “to read.”
In his charge to the gathering, the Education Minister said, “A literate society is one where human beings live in complete respect for each other. Our task in this country is to create a literate society.”
He added that the divisions within the society must end and further told the young scholars to start thinking about the contributions they could make to create a better understanding in their families and communities, of the value of each person in establishing a more cohesive society.
Students of the Al Ghazali Islamic Academy gained 80 per cent and more at the recent National Grade Six Assessment. Twenty-one students wrote the exams, two of whom are in the top One Per Cent.