GUYANA last week joined youths the world over in celebrating International Youth Day under the theme, “Transforming education”, which, according to the United Nations, highlights efforts to make education more relevant, equitable and inclusive for all youth, including efforts by youth themselves.

Rooted in Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: To “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”, International Youth Day 2019 accordingly sought to examine how governments, young people and youth-led and youth-focused organisations, as well as other stakeholders are transforming education, and how these efforts are contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

According to the UN, statistics remind us that significant transformations are still required to make education systems more inclusive and accessible: (1) Only 10% of people have completed upper secondary education in low-income countries; (2) 40 % of the global population is not taught in a language they speak or fully understand; and (3) over 75 % of secondary school age refugees are out of school. In addition, Indigenous youth, young people with disabilities, young women, young people belonging to vulnerable groups or in vulnerable situations etc. are facing additional challenges to access education that respects their diverse needs and abilities, as well as reflects and embraces their unique realities and identities.

The UN said making education more relevant, equitable and inclusive is crucial to achieving sustainable development. “Education is a ‘development multiplier’, in that it plays a pivotal role in accelerating progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, be it poverty eradication, good health, gender equality, decent work and growth, reduced inequalities, action on climate or building peaceful societies. Education should lead to effective learning outcomes, with the content of school curricula and pedagogy being fit for purpose, not only for the 4th industrial revolution and the future of work and life, but also for the opportunities and challenges that rapidly-changing social contexts bring,” according to the UN.

Here in Guyana, youths are widely accepted as agents of change, and with 65 per cent of the population below age 35, Guyana can be considered a youthful nation; full of energy and creativity but not fully harnessed. In Guyana, youths can be found in every sphere of national life, be it in the public service, the teaching profession, the legal profession, in business and in politics. The impact of youths here cannot be underestimated. Many would recall the “Vote like a Boss” campaign managed by youths, and the impact it had in getting young people out to vote in the 2015 regional and general elections.

More recently, a group of young Guyanese was part of the spotlight on the world stage. The Guyana Robotics Team, participating in the International Robotics Championship in Washington, USA, for the first time, secured a place in the top 10, despite coming up against great odds.

These simple lessons have indicated that youths here, if given the opportunity, can be as good and equal to anyone else in any part of the world. And being the majority in Guyana, they hold the keys to change, to the social, economic and political development of Guyana, and it is important for this reason that more and more youths play a role in shaping the peaceful, inclusive and prosperous Guyana they all envision. This is not asking too much of them, since they are ideal agents of change, generally see things differently from their senior counterparts, and are in the driver’s seat when it comes to making a genuine difference, including breaking down barriers to Guyana’s divisive political culture.
While young people in Guyana have been making a meaningful contribution to the development of Guyana, they can do a lot more, but would require support from government and other stakeholders.

Robust efforts must be made in galvanising parents, spiritual and community leaders in ensuring that every youth, whether rich or poor, receives an education, and is positioned on a path of making a meaningful contribution to their family, community and country.
It is heartening to know that the ‘Coalition Government’ has been contributing towards this process through the award of scholarships since it has come into office, a process it has executed without much fanfare.

Scholarships have increased from 464 for the period 2011 to 2014 under the former administration, to 1,251 between 2015 and 2018 while the current allocation to the education sector is over $52B.

It goes without saying that an investment in education is an investment in people, an investment in skills development, and an investment in nation-building. It is against this background we again commend President David Granger for his commitment to restoring the constitutionally-mandated free education from nursery to tertiary.

Aside from education, government has also paid attention in encouraging young people into the world of business, since entrepreneurship is a vital means of youth empowerment, rolling back unemployment levels and creating avenues for innovation. Hundreds of young people have benefitted from training programmes geared at equipping them to manage their own businesses.

The young people of today all aspire to have a good job, a home and a secure future, and education and entrepreneurship are the avenues that will help them realise their dreams. But all of this will be incomplete if they are not imbued with good values, such as honestly, respect, discipline and hard work, which, when combined with education, allows for the all-round development of individuals and the creation of genuine and capable leaders. Since Guyana is a nation where the majority of her population are youth, it cannot be overemphasised that due attention has to be paid to this segment of the population in ensuring both their growth and development, and their participation in the process of national development.