WITH the aim of offering after school education free of cost to families across the country, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Wednesday, launched the “Neighbourhood Study Hub” initiative at the School of Nations, where the first hub will be located.

The programme, which will administer extra classes in numeracy and literacy, will be opened to persons of all ages.

Aside from being taught free of cost, persons using the hub will also receive a meal, and all the materials needed for studying.

The hub at School of the Nations will serve residents of the Tiger Bay community, and is being done through a public-private partnership between the government and several of the businesses located in the Tiger Bay area. German’s and the New Thriving Restaurant are among those supporting the initiative.

The classes for the programme will be held at the School of the Nations, and will be taught by teachers of the school.

“In Guyana, we want much community involvement. Bringing people along with us, that is very important to me, and very important to the government. We have a targeted and strategic way in which we are approaching the different challenges,” President Dr. Irfaan Ali noted as he delivered the feature address.

The launch was attended by several residents, including children, from the Tiger Bay area.

The President explained that the study hub is just one of many ways in which the government is integrating greater community involvement in the school system to better develop Guyana’s human resource for the fast developing economy.

“Our focus on economy 2030 and beyond requires an education system that is nimble and flexible, one that is easily adjustable. We need a society in which children …are rounded’, he said, adding that “people must understand that we are a society that is integrated by different cultures, ethnicities and groups.”

As the programme starts off, the first thing that will be done is a diagnostic test of all of the learners to assess at what level they are at. Registration has opened at the School of the Nations for persons from the Tiger Bay community, while the classes are scheduled to commence in January 2023.

The programme will be expanded to include locations throughout the country, including Bare Root on the East Coast of Demerara, Bath in West Berbice, Canje in East Berbice and Soesdyke on the East Bank of Demerara. The initiative will be administered through the Ministry of Education (MoE).

“This is a programme that could make all the difference in the lives of our children,” Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand commented when she made remarks at the event

Manickchand noted that literacy and numeracy are two specific areas where, in Guyana, and all across the world, the education systems continue to have the most difficulty in. As such the study hub initiative is part of improving education delivery in those subject areas.

“The quality of education in those two areas has been challenging even for developed countries around the world and that has dogged our education system too,” Manickchand noted.

The government will be looking at the possibility of developing other public-private partnerships to support the other hubs that will be implemented at other locations across the country.

Making remarks on behalf of the School of the Nations, Senior Managing Director, Pamela O’Toole, thanked President Ali for the trust he has placed in the school to be part of the extensive initiative.

“The President’s far-reaching and dynamic vision for Guyana is really exciting and uplifting. It has really transformed our society, public and private sector, communities, family, youth and children. It’s a vision leading us to a very bright future. Nations is pleased to have been chosen to be the launch of the Study Hub,” she noted.

“Nations stands ready, willing and excited to welcome our expanded family to Nations. The need is very great. We need to act now to reverse education losses to rise against poverty. Nations pledges to work together to reduce learning poverty to build capacity and recover that which has been lost,” she added.

This will not be the first time that School of the Nations will be offering remedial classes to learners in the Tiger Bay area as it had previously implemented the Tiger Bay Literacy Project some years ago. The school was forced to suspend the programme due to financial constraints.

The vote of thanks at the launch was delivered by Danita Jaundoo who participated in the Tiger Bay Literacy Project. She shared how the programme helped to mould her into a well-rounded young lady.