ONE of America’s Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, respected inventor, scientist, political theorist, author, politician, diplomat, and all-round thinker said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Nelson Mandela agreed. The celebrated South African activist, president, and statesman noted that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Similar sentiments have been expressed in one form or another by men and women of all walks of life since the beginning of modern civilisation, and is arguably an accepted truth with which there is universal agreement.
Education is the process of facilitating learning; the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and positive habits. The term ‘education’ is most frequently used to refer to a formal process that occurs in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions. However, it has long been recognised that education has a wider, deeper meaning that encompasses all the means by which an individual gains knowledge, and learns to apply that knowledge to real-life situations in order to solve problems, improve the quality of life, and be a productive member of society. Education, therefore, is, or should be, a lifelong pursuit.

The experts tell us that education is not only the acquisition of knowledge that is contained in books, but includes, too, the learning of practical skills, particularly those that relate to one’s own life and specific needs, as well as the requirements of one’s community, and the refining of the ability to integrate that knowledge and those skills into everyday activities and endeavours. The experts say, too, that education is not just learning how to read and write (literacy), since even a robot can read and write, but an educated human being uses acquired knowledge wisely.

It makes a human being much more than the sum of the knowledge with which he or she was provided. Importantly, education may be used not only for elevating oneself, but it can be used to improve other peoples’ lives. Evidently, any society that wants to improve itself must place the education of its citizens high on its agenda.

Guyana is fortunate to have a system of free formal education, though admittedly imperfect. Our country has, too, leaders who recognise the pivotal role that learning plays in the quest for personal fulfilment, individual achievement, community advancement, regional enhancement, and national development. Just some four months after being elected to office in October 2015, President David Granger observed that Guyana’s education system was in need of major improvements. Speaking at the national awards ceremony for students who had excelled at the Caribbean Secondary Certificate Examinations (CSEC), the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), as well as the Guyana Technical Education Examination, Carnegie School of Home Economics, the Cyril Potter College of Education and the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), the Head of State lamented the poor condition of the entire education system, and spoke to the need for general improvement. His Excellency observed that, “There are problems in the educational sector.” The president noted that every day, five children drop out of secondary school. “What is to become of them?” President Granger remarked.

His Excellency said that each year, more than half of the students who undertake the NGSA fail, and that this means that Guyana’s secondary education system is not producing the desired results. “It means that half of the students who enter the secondary school system may not be qualified to be there,” the president noted. President Granger referred to the fact that fewer than half of those who wrote English and Mathematics at the 2015 CSEC examinations passed. The president mentioned that the Ministry of Education described the situation as unsatisfactory. “This is unacceptable in the knowledge-based world in which we live,” he said. “Guyana simply cannot continue along this trajectory if it is to compete with our sisters in the Caribbean.”

Given the president’s evident concern, one is not surprised that the David Granger Administration took immediate action to remedy the situation. In July 2015, one month after being sworn into office, President Granger launched the highly-successful 5Bs programme. The 5Bs stand for boats, buses, bicycles, breakfast and books. The initiative was launched by the president after he paid a visit to the Pomeroon area, where, during his interactions with residents, he learnt of the high cost of transportation for children to get to and from school; that many families simply could not afford it. Additionally, because of widespread and extreme poverty, many parents could not afford to purchase the books needed by their children. Even more saddening was the fact that many children were forced to stay at home because their families could not afford proper meals. On hearing this, the president decided to take action. The resulting 5Bs programme has been remarkably successful.

Numerous initiatives have since been undertaken by the government within the administration’s holistic education plan. Officials have repeatedly underscored the importance of a multi-faceted approach to education. The president has pointed out that education must encompass both tradition and transformation. Education, officials say, must include academics, vocational, technical, and apprenticeship programmes. Adults, as well as adolescents who have dropped out of the system, and younger children, must be given the opportunity for self-fulfilment.

Programmes such as the Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative are intendede to equip Guyanese to meet the challenges of the future. “Guyana’s capacity to compete in global markets will rely on our ability to innovate. Innovation requires that greater emphasis be placed on education, particularly STEM education. The greatest innovation in the global economy is in the scientific and information technology fields. STEM education must be emphasised from an early age, if we are to develop the skills and attitudes necessary to foster transformation,” the president said.

Government’s recognition that education is the key to development is the appropriate foundational premise upon which initiatives, programmes, and projects can be conceptualised and implemented. Guyanese should welcome this comprehensive approach. And, as the government works to provide the opportunities for personal advancement and social development, citizens should take advantage of every available option.