ANDRE Ramaldo was born in Skeldon to parents from two racial groups and ethnicities: his father who is from Aruca, Region One and is of indigenous descent and his mother is from Skeldon and an East Indian. He spent his childhood days in Line Path and attended Line Path C Nursery. It was at that level Andre was thrust into the public speaking world. He represented his nursery school in the regional science fair to present his project, “The Wind Turbine.” He later attended Crabwood Creek Primary, where he spent two years then moved closer to home and completed his primary education at Skeldon Primary. Andre had big ambitions, he wanted to attend one of Guyana’s prestigious schools, but unfortunately, he couldn’t. He attended the local secondary school,the Skeldon Line Path Secondary. There, he completed his secondary education and was very active in co and extracurricular activities. He was a debater; he represented the school in science fairs, served as head prefect and worked along with other batch mates to return graduation to the school. After CSEC, he pursued CAPE at New Amsterdam Secondary and GCE ‘A’ Levels with the School of Nations. It is here where he discovered his love for the education process after taking the course, Education Psychology.

In 2009, Andre commenced working as a teacher of English at Tagore Memorial Secondary School. After about two years, he decided it was time he pursued his childhood dream which was to become a lawyer, so he could serve those who needed help the most. He tried to leave, but things were not going his way. One day a colleague sat him down and told him that he was “cut out” to be an educator. Her exact words were, “the students need you.” After much pondering, he decided to continue being an educator. Having studied literature in high school, Andre knew the value and wealth of experience about the life he received through this experience and wanted the same for the students of Tagore. With the support of the headteacher and his colleagues, English B became a major subject on the school’s curriculum and to date, students have been exposed to valuable experiences through their English B classes.

Over the years, Andre’s interest in education has evolved and he has 12 remarkable years of teaching English Language and Literature; however, his attention has shifted to the area of special and inclusive education. Having always had an ability to engage with children, Andre feels that children’s experiences in their formative years can steer the path of their childhood, teen and adult lives. Especially interested in students who struggle with reading, Andre wants to help in a meaningful way by raising awareness of Dyslexia and other learning difficulties, which he feels children encounter and suffer in silence.

This interest has led him to partner with some colleagues to form an organisation that will focus on helping vulnerable children and teenagers who, for whatever reason, are shunned and excluded from regular classroom life. As an advocate for inclusive education, Andre feels that the education system is still young in this regard and hopes to become a major influencer in inclusive education policy. His ultimate goal is to be an education consultant in special and inclusive education. He envisions himself travelling his beloved country to find and empower educators who will be advocates for a more inclusive education system.

The Pepperpot Magazine asked Ramaldo, what does it mean to you to be an educator in Guyana? He replied by saying, “I feel that educators have a major role in the holistic development of the pupils and students in their care. An educator is not simply someone who delivers an academic curriculum, they influence and inspire and motivate. They are the catalyst that will make their students rise and soar.” Further, as an indigenous educator, Andre feels he has a responsibility to ensure that the indigenous communities across Guyana have access to quality education and this he hopes to work towards as he advances in his career.

In 2020, Andre and three other teachers of The Bishop’s High School worked to create a virtual space to deliver the curriculum due to COVID-19. He is particularly proud of this accomplishment because it was an undertaking by four young people who were determined to ensure that the students and their colleagues had access to an efficient system to teach and learn. Because of this system, every student at The Bishop’s High is accounted for. Also, it is such a secure system, no outsiders can infiltrate and cause confusion which has been the case with other virtual spaces. Through this initiative, they have increased access and provided the opportunity for students to be taught. Andre shared some of his proudest achievements as an Indigenous educator of Guyana. He said, “I am proud of the work the Youth Ambassadors (YAs) 2018 Alumi did earlier this year. As a mentor, it was a privilege working with the YAs to create and execute the career mentorship programme. It gave over 200 young Guyanese the opportunity to meet established professionals and learn from them. It also gave them the opportunity to learn from seven young leaders in Guyana in the area of leadership, effective communication, resume writing, financial management, networking and achieving educational goals. What is especially significant about this team effort is the fact that participants gained employment and internship opportunities. We hope to make this something regular because we believe in the empowerment of young people.”