– major focus now being placed on business, technology

THE Valmiki Vidyalaya High School has been renamed the Valmiki College for Business and Technology now that the institution has ventured deeper into corporate and technological studies.

Georgetown Mayor, Pandit Ubraj Narine; Governor of the Bank of Guyana, Dr. Gobind Ganga; Behavioural Scientist and Professor at the University of Guyana, Dr. Paloma Mohamed, and former Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, were among a number of specially-invited guests, supporters and education administrators who witnessed the Thursday opening of the improved facility.

A newly-installed school library, a fully equipped computer room with projector, some 40 computers and increased classrooms are among the new additions to the refurbished college. The Valmiki Vidyalaya High School had been operating for several years after the building was transformed from its original function of housing students undertaking studies at the University of Guyana and other educational institutions.

Guyanese-owned overseas-based organisations Jay and Sylvia Sobhraj Foundation and the ZARA Computer College were highly praised as focal organisations that significantly contributed to the up-scaling of the institution.

Jay Sobhraj of the Jay and Sylvia Sobhraj Foundation said that the college’s curriculum will not only serve for preparations toward the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, but will also offer classes and exams in computer services such as computer repairs, programming and other such engineering fields. He opined that the facility is geared to ensure that students leaving the institution are equipped with skills to access decent jobs and function effectively in the field of business and technology.

He mentioned also the possibility of local students being able to access study opportunities in Silicon Valley as is already available to students attending schools supported in the US.
Dr. Mohamed expressed support and congratulatory remarks to the operators of the college noting also the major contribution by the foundation toward a building which was opened just a few months ago at UG’s Turkeyen campus. The building which Mohamed said has transformed the landscape of the UG, now houses programmes for mental wellness such as criminology, sociology and phycology among others. “This centre will strike at the heart of one of the biggest problems we have in this country… suicide,” she remarked.

Persaud, who plays key volunteer roles at the school, congratulated the organisation for looking at the needs in Guyana and developing ways to tackle them. He said “education can bridge gaps and enable significant alliances that can bring people together and get them to contribute.”

Mayor Narine urged students to take advantage of the opportunities that the school continues to offer. He reiterated that education is the key and should be attained when opportunity presents. He said that nothing is promised and chances offered today may not be available tomorrow.