–Minister Hamilton tells UN Forum Guyana prioritises equal access to education, opportunities
IN a declaration of commitment to equal opportunities, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to advancing education as a cornerstone of inclusive development, setting a commendable example for nations worldwide.

Minster Hamilton on Wednesday addressed the Third Session of the Permanent Forum on Peoples of African Descent in Geneva, Switzerland.
Focused on the theme, “Ensuring Equal Access to Educational Opportunities regardless of Race, Colour, or national origin”, Minister Hamilton underscored Guyana’s steadfast dedication to providing education as an inherent right for all its citizens.

“Access to education is an inherent right of every individual,” Minister Hamilton affirmed as he highlighted to the UN Forum Guyana’s government’s unwavering stance on safeguarding this fundamental right.

Amidst evolving realities, he stressed the importance of ensuring that changes do not hinder access to quality education.
Drawing attention to Guyana’s policy priorities, Minister Hamilton highlighted the nation’s pursuit of universal secondary education, with a target to achieve this by 2026.

Notably, he outlined the government’s provision of annual vouchers worth US$200 to every school child, regardless of the institution they attend.
Further, in a changing world, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is of even greater importance than before.

Minister Hamilton used the opportunity to shed light on Guyana’s significant investment in TVET programmes to bridge the skills gap in the job market, and empower its youthful population.

Among the initiatives showcased by Minister Hamilton was the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) TVET programme, designed to nurture local workforce and entrepreneurship for sustainable economic diversification.
He pointed out the programme’s inclusivity, with approximately 48 per cent of enrolled students being women, engaging in non-traditional technical areas.

Hamilton also referenced the success of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) initiative, which surpassed its target of offering 20,000 tertiary-level scholarships by 2025.
Over 60 per cent of the participants in GOAL are female, reflecting Guyana’s commitment to gender inclusivity in education.

Highlighting the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN), Minister Hamilton celebrated the empowerment of over 8,000 women through training for self-employment opportunities since its inception in 2022.
He also reiterated Guyana’s dedication to its transformative development agenda, underscoring the vision of leaving “no one behind” and fostering a highly skilled, competitive, and diverse workforce to meet the demands of a changing global landscape.

Guyana’s commitment to advancing education is evident through its efforts to address the challenges caused by global crises and the COVID-19 pandemic, its focus on inclusive, equitable, safe, and healthy schools, and its commitment to collaborating with teachers to identify and address various challenges within the education system.

The government’s allocation of $135.2 billion to education in Budget 2024 also reflects its commitment to advancing higher education and fostering expertise in critical fields.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) in Guyana has focused on capacity building for teachers in student-cantered methodology related to STEM education, literacy across the curriculum, distance education engagement, and teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to improve their delivery of the curriculum

The MOE has also supported learners’ physical return to school and student welfare through academic and non-academic extra-curricular activities, social services support in the form of cash grants, worksheets, and care packages for students, and provisions given to dormitory students and school feeding programmes for primary and secondary school students.