PRESIDENT David Granger in this week’s “Public Interest” television programme noted that while he is satisfied with the government’s performance for its first year in office,he would have liked to see more done in education and job-creation. These two areas are of vital importance in society. The former creates an informed populace equipped to make educated choices and participate constructively in the nation’s welfare. The latter is important for development, personal and national. Education comes in various forms and its overarching focus is usually set by government, through laws, policies and programmes. In the colonial era, education was designed by the Crown for the colonised to serve a foreign interest. With independence, government designed an indigenous system education to serve nation-building. This was built on a universal and non-denominational programme, which at one time was free from nursery to university.
Guyana stood out in early education with nursery starting at 3 years 9 months. The field of psychology argues that what is learnt in the first five years of a child’s life is very important to social cognition and development of the mind. When Guyana at independence emerged from historical experiences of racial distrust, bitter conflicts and the divide-and-rule approach to governance, such shaped acceptance, rejection and treatment of the other. Thus, when government embarked on placing children into an educational environment where equality and respect for self and the other were nurtured, such should not be under-estimated.
Early childhood education has created a new generation to look at life through perspectives untied to an unsavoury past, which could have influenced socialisation and continuation. Where new ways of learning would have shaped perceptions of humankind and the environment in constructive ways, the child would recount the experiences in the home, influencing relatives, informing interaction with others and outlook on issues, and aid the nurturing of new families.
Post-primary education acknowledged the various stages and levels of education, thus denying none the right to pursue same based on preference and ability. This was a noticeable break from the colonial education system which left many behind and was nurtured on a system of elitism. Additionally, to established secondary schools, more were added and supported with the community high and multilateral schools. Community high education was technical and vocational driven, with students at the 4th Form allowed to sit an examination and based on results, entered the multilateral or secondary schools. The multilateral provided multi-layered education.
Post-secondary education was not only confined to college and university. It also included technical and vocational such as the Guyana Technical Institute, Guyana Industrial and Training Centre, Critchlow Labour College, and trade schools run by the telecommunications, sugar and bauxite sectors. It would be fair to say that post-independent education was an investment in the people in deference to personal interest, market value, and acknowledged diversity of skills needed for development. Those who had or didn’t have the benefit of earlier education were too factored into the national policy and considered important to nation building.
It is hoped that the Commission of Inquiry into the education system will take cognisance of the stated factors. At the same time, it may also be worthwhile for the responsible ministers to examine the inter-relationship of education and job-creation. An education approach that has an overarching national vision would factor in modernity, people’s ability, health and wellness, and interests at given times as playing a significant role in shaping the nation’s development agenda.
In a Green Economy, job-creation would examine the need for green collar jobs along with the traditional white and blue collar jobs. This would suggest that from the gravedigger, retro-fitter to the most certificated, all should be considered pivotal to development, given that the right to work is universal and nation-building is a collective responsibility. A development strategy will strive to leave none behind or unemployed. As the education inquiry does its work, a similar approach should be considered to address job-creation. The respective ministry/ministries may want to examine bringing stakeholders together to conceptualise, develop and implement a Job Creation Policy. The government may need to look at engaging Labour and Employers’ representatives in this regard. It is not unreasonable expectation that come May 2017 when President Granger reviews the government’s performance, there would be positive movement in education and job-creation.