TWO smart classrooms and five computer learning centres were commissioned in Region Six ( East Berbice-Corentyne) by Education Minister Priya Manickchand during a visit there on Friday.  The smart classrooms were installed at the New Amsterdam Secondary School (NASS) and Skeldon Line Path Secondary, while the computer learning centres were commissioned at the Auchlyne, No. 36, No. 59, No. 63, New Market Anglican and the No. 71 Messiahs primary schools.
Aleiyah Fredericks, 16, a student of NASS, who assisted Minister Manickchand to cut the ceremonial ribbon at her school’s new smart classroom, was impressed with the new facility and looks forward to seeing how it will be used to improve her learning experience, going forward.
A Fifth Form student, Fredericks is currently preparing to write 11 subjects at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. She noted that while it has been a tough year of learning due to the school closure, she is confident of doing well at the examinations.
The smart classrooms are equipped with an interactive, computerised, touchscreen whiteboard, two cameras that can be used to video the lesson by the teachers and a monitor connected to the cameras.

At NASS, Information Technology (IT) teacher Brian Winjajellum, gave a brief demonstration of how the smart classroom devices will work, and how teachers of any subject can utilise the devices to make their classes more interactive and attractive to students.
The two smart classrooms are the first to be established in Region Six; however, they are the fifth and sixth to be established over the past few months as part of the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) overall roll out of smart classrooms at several schools across the country.
Thus far, smart classrooms have also been established at the Leonora Secondary, Queen’s College, Brickdam Secondary and East Ruimveldt Secondary.
The smart classrooms are being established across the country to enable teachers to not only reinforce their teaching delivery, but also enable them to conduct classes at different locations simultaneously. The interactive remote teaching is particularly advantageous, as in the case of the hinterland schools which are not resourced as those in Georgetown.
Some 20 smart classrooms are scheduled to be part of the first rollout across the country, while the wider hope is to one day have a smart classroom established at every school across the country.

The classrooms will be continuously monitored by the ministry to ensure that they work as expected.
“We are committed at the ministry to roll out the smart classrooms in a sensible way. A whole programme is being rolled out in and around these classrooms. When we re-open schools what that opening will look like may not be what we are accustomed to,” the minister related.
At NA Secondary, Headteacher Vanessa Chisholm is hoping to utilise the benefits of the new amenity to see physics being taught at her school as it does not have a teacher for the subject.
Chisholm, as well as the Headteacher of Skeldon Line Path Secondary, Evett Johnson, expressed their gratitude for the initiative in light of the technological needs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of students in Guyana have been learning virtually due to the pandemic.
“It is undoubtedly a dream come true for this institution and the community,” Johnson remarked, adding that “The occasion is indeed timely and necessary against the background of the modalities by which we deliver the school’s curriculum. COVID-19 dealt us a telling blow and schools had to find innovative ways to deliver.”
She noted that the initiative underscores the government’s commitment to uplifting standards of education all across the country.
“This coming to fruition is testament to the proactive nature of our minister. We are grateful that Skeldon Line Path was identified for this special initiative, it augurs well for education in the Upper Corentyne,” she expressed.

Given the new improvements at the school, Johnson also appealed to the minister for the school to be upgraded in status to an “A List” secondary school.
Meanwhile, at the Auchlyne Primary School, Nathaniel Budhu, 11, and nine-year-old Angel Sampson were all too happy to give a demonstration of how the laptops at their school’s computer learning centre could be used. Each of the computer learning centres is equipped with five laptops, a projector and a projector screen.
The computer learning centres project was spearheaded by the Shri Devi Mandir Global Humanitarian Foundation based in New York, USA. The foundation is headed by Pandit Tillack Shivrattan. Shivrattan is well known for his benevolence in the county of Berbice over the years.
“Today I am overjoyed,” Pandit Shivrattan said, on seeing the initiative coming to fruition.
He also pointed out that the benevolent gesture would not have been possible without the support of generous donations from Guyanese in the diaspora.
Shivrattan accompanied the minister to the various schools where the centres were commissioned. Also part of the visit were Regional Chairman Permaul Armogan and the Regional Education Officer, Bhagmatie LaCruz.
Armogan expressed profound gratitude to Shivrattan, not only for the initiative extended to the schools, but for all he has been doing to support communities in the region over the years.
“Thank you to Pandit and the diaspora and we look forward to working with you in the future,” he said.