— Education Ministry provides online platforms

THE coronavirus pandemic has changed how millions around the globe are learning and new solutions for education could bring much needed innovations in Guyana, given the digital divide and the new shifts in educational approaches.

This is according to President of STARR Computer, Mike Mohan, who commended the virtual education contents offered by the Ministry of Education.
He explained that, in a matter of weeks, coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed how students are educated around the world.

Those changes, Mohan said, give one a glimpse at how education could change for the better in the long-term.
Mohan noted that COVID-19 has become a catalyst for educational institutions worldwide to search for innovative solutions in a relatively short period of time.

He explained that globally, diverse stakeholders – including governments, publishers, education professionals, technology providers, and telecom network operators – came together to utilize digital platforms as a temporary solution to the crisis.
Mohan added that, in emerging countries, where education has predominantly been provided by the government, this could become a prevalent and consequential trend to future education.

However, Mohan acknowledged that the less affluent and digitally savvy individual families are, the further their students are left behind. When classes transition online, these children lose out because of the cost of digital devices and data plans.

He noted that along with e-government hotspots and the sharing of the internet between neighbours, there are many opportunities also being facilitated by banks, where loans are made available for affordable technologies for the development of students.
Mohan concluded that the pandemic is also an opportunity to remind ourselves of the skills students need in this unpredictable world.

These skills, he said, include informed decision making, creative problem solving, and perhaps, above all, adaptability. “To ensure those skills remain a priority for all students, resilience must be built into our educational systems as well.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education noted that schools across Guyana remain closed until further notice, in an effort to curb the spread of the deadly new coronavirus.
As a consequence of the extended closure of schools, the Ministry of Education has provided the following guidance.

Parents and guardians are advised to visit the Ministry of Education’s website on https://bit.ly/39Y698S to access National Grade Six (NGSA) Practice Test Papers in the four core areas (English, Science, Social Studies and Mathematics. (Please note that the link is case sensitive)
The University of Guyana also remains closed.

At the secondary and tertiary levels, teachers are advised, under the guidance of the Chief Education Officer (CEO), to engage students via zoom, skype and other similar electronic means.
The technical team at the ministry is continuously working to upgrade the support provided to teachers and students.

In this regard, the ministry is in discussion with international development partners to establish additional e-learning platforms, including e-testing for students.
In communities with limited opportunities for e-learning platforms (i.e. Regions 0ne, Seven, Eight and Nine) and selected rural communities, workbooks for learners have been provided.

The ministry has acquired and is in the process of distributing learning materials for special needs learners, primarily at the nursery and primary levels.

The Ministry of Education’s leadership is currently working to ensure that it continues to provide the support and guidance for the successful implementation of its programmes.