IT’S that time of year again when the National Grade Six Assessments and CSEC examinations results are out. It’s also that time of year when debates arise on the topic of our schooling and education system. From last week to now, there are ongoing debates in the comment sections of statuses on social media about “Which school is better?” “What school has the best systems in place?” “How undermined and neglected are certain schools in Guyana?” The list certainly goes on and on. However, for me, one conversation stood out the most, and it’s a talk I can actively engage in because “who knows it, feels it.” Certainly, I and many others are aware of how disadvantaged schools are in rural Guyana. I was born, bred and educated in Berbice, but this conversation extends to any and every other school that can be found in less developed parts of Guyana. And yes, in my opinion, Berbice is less developed, but that’s a story for another day.

I attended the New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary. It is categorised as the “top” school of Berbice alongside the Berbice High School. They’re both “A-level” schools and those inverted commas were deliberate. They’re deliberate because we were told that we are “A-level” but it barely felt that way. While Berbice is filled with brilliant minds and intellectuals, there’s only so much students can do with limited resources. I remembered having a conversation with one student from another school during an after-school lesson session. I was explaining to that student that I was in the Arts stream and that I was focused on my Theatre Arts practical at the moment for CSEC. The student turned to me and asked: “What is that?” I was dreaded. I felt privileged to be given the opportunity to attend my school and to have the experiences I have, but at the same time, I felt saddened at the fact that many are missing out on certain opportunities.

You can save your rebuttal of “consumerism” and “supplies exists [SIC] because of demands.” If you do not offer and educate people on what can be available to them, then how will they ever know? If that very student I spoke to was made aware that there is an actual subject by the name of “Theatre Arts,” then wouldn’t that expand their horizon of knowledge? Wouldn’t that expand their options to choose from? Many schools in Berbice and other parts of rural Guyana do not have access to basic things such as a school counsellor, the availability of certain CSEC subjects, skilled and fully qualified teachers, comprehensive online platforms and much more. The education of children from this nation should not be gambled with and certainly should not be politicised and/or treated as a business deal.

This is a serious and pressing issue. Take it from someone who attended an “A-level” school in Berbice. The resources, activities/events, the exposures and human capital given to other “A-level” schools in Region Four is not the same as ours here in Berbice. No, you cannot solely blame it on the board of directors. No, you cannot blame it on the socio-economic backgrounds of students and parents. Blame it on our country’s inability to approach development, holistically. We can first start by removing the classification of schools and we can also help to remove the stigma attached to certain “low-level” schools. There’s a lot of work to be done, but at least we can start with these few suggestions before tackling the bigger underlying issues. Everyone deserves the right to receive an education, but at the same time, everyone also deserves the right to quality education. The same can be said for students across the length, breadth and every kilometre of Guyana—not only those in the Georgetown/ Region Four communities.