– 11 centres to be built across Guyana

ONE of the 11 modern vocational centres that will be built across Guyana will be constructed in the mining town of Linden, so said Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon.

Harmon, who made the announcement at the recent Freedom Fest Emancipation celebrations, said the centre will cater for youths who are not academically inclined and have not completed secondary school.

“What we are doing now, is making sure that no child is left behind in the education system, that the academic level and the practical level, we cater for everybody, and so as a nation, we are spending money on education and we will continue to spend on education,” he said.

Statistics show that seven students, of the entire student population, drop out of school daily, either because of not meeting the basic requirement or other social issues. The government will be using these centres as an intervention mechanism which will enable students to get a second chance of learning. This is also in keeping with the government’s desire to uphold the Constitution, which says education must be free from nursery to tertiary.

In his Emancipation address, President David Granger noted that he aims to restore the right to free education, in accordance with the Constitution.

Article 27 of the Constitution of Guyana states: “Every citizen has the right to a free education from nursery to university, as well as at non-formal places where opportunities are provided for education and training.”

This article falls in Chapter II, which connotes the principles and basis of the political, economic and social system. Also detailed in this section is every person’s right to sovereignty, the right to own personal property, the right to free health and social care, inter alia.

Guyana, under the People’s National Congress (PNC) Government, offered free education from nursery to university. However, today, only education offered from nursery to secondary is free. Harmon related this does not only speak to academic education but for vocational education.

With the evolution of the oil and gas industry, he stressed that government will give attention to this category of education, as the industry is pregnant with opportunities for these skill set.

“It also speaks about vocational training, the people who are not able to catch up academically and would have actually fallen out of the education system because they cannot keep up with the requirements for the academic in the schools, we are also going to be investing in vocational training,” he said. The government will be working with the relevant authorities to ensure that certificates the youths will receive will be accredited and can allow them access to employment through the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

In addition to the vocational centre, Linden will benefit from the construction of other educational facilities that will give the education sector a boost in the region. The Christianburg Primary School will be built to the tune of $117 M. Construction will also commence at the Bamia Nursery School shortly. The Synthetic Track is currently being built to the tune of $179 M and a multimillion-dollar dormitory to house students of the Linden Technical Institute from far-flung communities is also being built.