OF the $60.7 billion allocated to the Ministry of Education, over $700 million will be set aside to target hinterland-specific programmes, with the largest being the $664.697 million for the Resource Development Centre that will go towards the roll out of the expansion of the Learning Channel to hinterland communities.

Additionally, $50 million has been set aside for indigenous education, which will include catering for piloting English as a second language for hinterland preschool learners, school mapping and a study on migrant children in the school system.

During a recent interview with this newspaper, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, noted that given the increasing migration to Guyana, it is important for the ministry to understand the needs of the migrant children in the education system so as to be able to implement programmes that better cater to them.

“Guyana has always been kind to people who come here and it is one thing we can be proud of, and we like to make sure regardless of how people got here that we don’t leave children behind,” Manickchand said, adding: “So, we are trying to figure out how we serve the migrant children who have come and are here in our schools speaking different languages and sometimes different dialects in the same language.

“Where are these children located? How can we serve them? I think it’s the humane thing to do and we have already begun it and we are really trying very hard to ensure we serve all kids.”

Another $10 million in the budget is also expected to cater for a feasibility study to determine the need for the design and pre-feasibility studies for the construction of new schools in hinterland and remote areas.

The $664.697 million for the expansion of the Learning Channel to hinterland villages will include television sets, a dish to pick up the channels, and solar panel systems to power the equipment to each community. The initiative is expected to be implemented in 215 hinterland communities across the country.

Launched in 2011 to air educational programmes to children across the country, the Learning Channel took on an emphasised role in education delivery over the past few months, when it was incorporated as part of a blended approach to re-engage students while schools remained closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since September, the Learning Channel has been broadcasting in a timetable format, with teaching for all of the grades at various points throughout the day. However, the existing facility had proven to be somewhat deficient and is not accessible to children across the country, particularly those in the hinterland and riverine communities.

This further widens the education gap between the coastland and hinterland communities. As such, the ministry embarked on a massive rehabilitation and extension of the Learning Channel, which has been ongoing since last year September.

Aside from expanding the reach of the Learning Channel, six more Learning Channels are expected to be added. Also, towards the development of education delivery to hinterland and riverine areas, the MoE recently launched a number of smart classrooms, which will be used to enable proficient teachers on the coastland to be able to deliver teaching to students in the remote areas.

“This allows us to be able to design lessons using a master teacher. So, if our best teachers are located at Queens College, Bishop’s or Saints [St Stanislaus College], we could have the hinterland students learn from these teachers,” Minister Manickchand explained, adding, “And even teachers learn to become better at what they do using Internet, smart technology assisted classrooms. So, we see a lot of opportunity, that is why this year there was provision to expand the Learning Channel.”

Additionally, the ministry is also investing in the production of local content to air on the Learning Channel, as opposed to utilising foreign made programming, which does not always cater to the specificity of Guyanese culture.

“We are working feverishly to develop local content. So, you wouldn’t see the alphabet being taught with an American accent; they will see a Guyanese teacher with a Guyanese accent. We’ve been using foreign concepts a lot because we didn’t have material. But we are developing our own material right now using Guyanese teachers who do very well in the classroom and that is something we are looking forward to rolling out,” Minister Manickchand shared.