AS is seemingly customary for me, the recent announcement of the results for this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) has once again given me a reason to think about the educational disparities in Guyana and reflect on what is being done to bridge existing gaps.

This year, three sets of gaps were identified. The first was that boys’ performance continues to be marginally lower than girls. In some subject areas, the performances were almost equal, yet boys’ performances seemed to dip slightly below the girls. Education Minister Priya Manickchand said this trend may warrant some sociological studies.

The second gap is between the performances of pupils from private schools compared to those in public schools. Using entrance into Queen’s College as a yardstick, Minister Manickchand said this gap was lessening. According to her, 140 children were placed in QC in 2019; of that number, 89 came from private schools and 51 from public schools. Now in 2023, 189 children are being placed at QC, with 106 from private schools and 83 from public schools. With these figures, it is believed that the gap is reducing. In coming years, we could see more improvements with more upgrades and trained teachers being infused into the public education system.

This last gap- the most striking of the lot- is the one I want to focus more on. That is the gap between hinterland learners and those on the coast. When asked about this at the announcement of the NGSA results, the Education Ministry did not have ready statistics. The subject Minister, however, acknowledged that the performance of hinterland pupils does not match up to those on the coast at the NGSA.

According to her, there are several reasons why the Education Ministry has been unable to “catch the gap” and bridge this disparity. One of the major reasons, she said, is because these regions have the lowest number of trained teachers.

For context, learners in the hinterland regions- which include Regions One, Seven, Eight, and Nine- traditionally had less access to resources than their colleagues on the coast. The geography and population size of the hinterland regions, in large part, have contributed to this. Sometimes learners have to stay in different communities, away from their families, to attend a school because there is none in their hometowns. And in the past, it has been difficult to get textbooks, for example, into some communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when learners had to return home, internet connectivity challenges were most pronounced in the hinterland; online schooling was simply not possible for many children.

All that being said. Manickchand emphasised that her ministry is trying to address the matter. It has provided textbooks and other supplies to all children, and efforts have been made to expand radio coverage so, at the very least, children can listen to lessons created in Georgetown. Worksheets have also been prepared.

Beyond this, the Education Minister reminded the gathering that her ministry is now on a massive undertaking to get all teachers trained by 2025. She said this should let children in the hinterland benefit from trained teachers engaging them- something she says has a direct correlation with improved results.

It is nice to hear about these plans, but it is daunting to see firsthand how these challenges manifest for children.

Acknowledging this situation reminded me of Karisparu and some of the other communities where the girls who died in the recent fire at the Mahdia Secondary School’s female dormitory hailed from.

Karisparu, for one, is a small community deep in the Pakaraima mountains of Region Eight. Getting to Karisparu is difficult; you can fly (it is a less treacherous journey by helicopter), use All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) or walk for days. There’s no internet or mobile connectivity there, and it is evident that there isn’t an abundance of resources like textbooks. Still, many believe their children can go to school and become the doctors, nurses & teachers the community badly needs. There’s a primary school there, and the children who move on to secondary school primarily go out to Mahdia. That’s why the girls stayed in the dorm. That means they spend months away from their families, only returning at the end of the school term. The other students at the dorm become family, even if they aren’t from the same communities. It is most important for these children to make sure the solutions we craft and implement work.

When I think about the plans that are touted as solutions to help bring some equality in the delivery of education, I think about the children in Karisparu, Micobie, and other Region Eight communities. I hope that in a matter of years, we will not be talking about catching the gap in the hinterland, and instead, we find other concerns to address and remedy.

If you would like to discuss this column or any of my previous writings, please feel free to contact me via email: vish14ragobeer@gmail.com