Dear Editor,

I WISH to be afforded some space in your publication to point out, and in some way proffer an analysis of a posture taken by the Ministry of Education.

Editor, I can recall during her 2019 budget presentation in the National Assembly, the Minister of Education promised in a passionate speech that under her watch, she will significantly close the education gap that exists between the coast and hinterland.

Editor, at the time of that revelation I thought, “I hope this materialises”. Not long after, I realised that the Education Ministry was all action in its quest to achieve this objective.

Editor, I am sure you can recall when teacher training was only done at the CPCE Turkeyen Campus. So training for hinterland teachers was not what it should have been because of the nation’s unique geography.

Editor the establishment of a teachers’ training college in Paramakatoi last year now ensures that teachers in that area no longer have to journey to the city for such a service; an indication of the decentralisation of critical services to benefit the hinterland region.

On the Information Communication Technology (ICT) front, I read in the press recently that the MoE is working with its sister ministry, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, to install Internet connection at schools in the hinterland region.
Already the Ministry of Education has opened smart classrooms in Regions Eight, One and Nine.
As you know Editor, our children are now part of an era where the Internet and ICT play a critical role in their learning process. Interventions such as these demonstrate again, the Ministry of Education’s intent in ensuring an equitable education for all, in spite of where these children are located.

Editor, often times when we as citizens provide our own interpretation of what is before us, sometimes the argument is advanced that you are aligned a certain way. But if one were to be honest, it is clear that this Education Ministry is taking clear steps to bridge the gap that existed for years between the coast and the hinterland with regards to public education.

It must be noted also that the ministry has been ramping up the construction of new schools in hinterland regions to ensure that children there can access a better quality of education.

In closing, I wish to bring to your attention to another intervention that I think surely validates my position. Just recently, I read in the Stabroek News that on May 24, Guyana signed a technical assistance co-operation agreement with the Organisation of American States and the ProFuturo Foundation for a digital learning platform agreement to bridge the technological gap between the coastal and the hinterland regions of Guyana.

Editor according to the Education Ministry, the agreement will be focused on digital education in Guyana, where 5,435 primary school students and 449 teachers in the country will have access to interactive content and materials to improve their learning experiences.
Finally Editor, as citizens, it is important that we look at issues through an unbiased lens and if we do that in this instant, it will be difficult to escape the fact that the Education Ministry is making notable strides with education delivery in the hinterland regions.

Regards
Elizabeth Williams