– soon to introduce housekeeping, other new programmes

THE Carnegie School of Home Economics, a government institution which falls under the Ministry of Education, celebrated its 86th year of existence on Friday.
A thanksgiving ceremony was organised on the lawns of the school at High Street, in Georgetown, with songs, dances and poetry.

Principal Myrna Lee told the Guyana Chronicle that the school is adaptable and continues to modify its curriculum to suit pressing needs in the country.

“We have evolved over the years. It’s a Home Economics school…about home and the family, but now it’s more hospitality-related,” she said.

Since Guyana is on the verge of having its first- oil, Lee said the school wants to ensure that it is preparing and certifying people to meet the new demands that the oil-and-gas sector brings. On top of the list are training staff and upgrading the curriculum, she said.
The school currently has a population of over 1,500 students, who are enrolled in the more than 18 programmes available at the institution.

“We can do with an upgrade, but we’re making the best use of what we have at the moment. The facility of itself needs upgrading; we have outgrown the building and that is why we have evening and weekend classes,” Lee disclosed.

But this will not deter the school from pressing on. “We are pressing on very heavily on competency-based programmes. From next term, we want to offer programmes in housekeeping, care of the elderly and childcare. Again, this is to meet the new needs and demands of our communities,” the principal said.

The programmes being offered at the school are those that have been demanded from industries and the communities. “We facilitate those requests by changing or upgrading our curriculum to match whatever is related. Whatever is being taught should be relevant; it shouldn’t be something that the community doesn’t need.”

Lee further mentioned that the school is in constant collaboration such related industries and organisations.