ONE of the first actions taken by the new PPP/C administration when it assumed office on October 5, 1992, after nearly three decades of PNC dictatorial rule, was to rebuild the country’s infrastructure, which at the time was in an advanced state of decay.

This was true for government buildings on the whole, but more so for school buildings which, for the most part, were in a dilapidated condition. Hundreds of schools were rehabilitated, and several new schools were built by the new administration. Such was the extent of infrastructural works that the government was criticised by the then PNC opposition for putting too much emphasis on infrastructural development and on education!
The importance of education and the creation of a conducive and enabling environment for children to learn is of paramount importance. Education is the key to success. This is true both at the individual and at the national level. This is why the PPP/C administration has been putting so much emphasis on education. Only recently, a new secondary school was commissioned by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali at Yarrowkabra on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, which caters for over 1000 students.

The significance of this school in particular cannot be overemphasised. For the first time, a dedicated secondary facility to accommodate the academic and technical/vocational needs of students in that catchment area has been constructed. This facility now replaces seven ‘primary tops’ along the entire Soesdyke-Linden Highway. These ‘primary tops’ were ill-equipped to prepare students for the CSEC and technical and vocational qualifications. As such, many children were only marking time. The dropout rates from these schools were above the national average.

As noted by President Ali during his address at the commissioning ceremony, the school will be a transformational force, both at the individual and community levels by upskilling 1019 students with the technical expertise needed to advance Guyana’s economy.

According to President Ali, “Through this initiative, we aim to make education accessible to every child, providing enriching, enlightening and empowering learning experiences essential for a modern economy.”
But at an even more fundamental level, it represents yet another leap forward in terms of accessibility to quality education. As pointed out by President Ali, through well-articulated programmes, students residing in far-flung areas are now able to access similar opportunities in the technical arena like children in the capital city.

This, in essence, is what democracy is about. It is about the democratisation of access to quality education, in order to enable our children to take full advantage of educational opportunities throughout the length and breadth of Guyana; it is about empowering our children to grow and develop their talents and skills to the full limit of their potential.

Knowledge is power. It is not possible to live a life of poverty if one has the facility of education and knowledge. As the saying goes, one cannot be educated and poor at the same time.
This is why the high emphasis placed by the PPP/C administration on education is so commendable. Gone are the days when education was placed at the backburner by the previous PNC regime. There was a time when expenditure on the military and the para-military was more than the combined spending on education and health. With the return of the PPP/C to office in October 1992, that expenditure anomaly was corrected, and education was once again placed as a national priority.