-more infrastructure, technology, training of educators on list to advance education delivery

PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali on Friday evening reaffirmed his government’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities and infrastructure for students across Guyana’s hinterland regions.

The Head of State was at the time hosting a dinner for hinterland scholarship students attending schools in Georgetown.

During his address, he pointed out that the current opportunities are a result of the government’s understanding of the importance of education for development.

“This opportunity that you have today is because we as a government understand how key this is for your own development, and we’re going to continue to invest and expand the opportunities for you,” President Ali told the students.

He highlighted the unique aspect of their education journey, noting that these students represent a diverse mix of schools, communities, and backgrounds.

“You perhaps have a greater asset because not only are you from different schools, but you’re from different communities, and you are also from different backgrounds. Together, you’re living as a family in the hostel here in Georgetown. As a family, you’re getting to share experiences, build new friendships, and this is what is going to ensure that the Guyana we are building—the One Guyana—is made up of every single community, representation from every single community and every single region,” Dr. Ali added.

President Ali went on to express pride in the group of students before him, describing the gathering as a “remarkable sight” that symbolizes the unity and potential of the nation’s future.

He also discussed the government’s plans to ensure that students do not have to leave their families behind to access high-quality education.

He reaffirmed the government’s dedication to investing in education infrastructure, particularly in the hinterland regions.

“We’re investing in building new schools, building labs. You’ll have some of the best schools in Guyana—state-of-the-art schools with the greatest infrastructure facilities, built in the hinterland,” he stated, mentioning that some of these schools are set to be completed in the next 18 months.

The government’s investment in education extends beyond physical infrastructure, as President Ali highlighted efforts to improve training of educators.

“If you look at per capita investment in education, we’re investing more per capita in the hinterland and river areas. The Ministry of Education also launched an ambitious programme of having all their teachers trained and moving from trained teachers to train graduates. And whilst it was an ambitious program, I’m very delighted that they are well on track of having this completed. All the teachers across the hinterland and all across Guyana will be trained teachers and trained graduates.”

President Ali also touched on ongoing projects to further support students’ development outside of academics.

He further revealed plans to upgrade hostel facilities here in Georgetown in partnership with the Ministries of Amerindian affairs and Education.

“We will discuss how we will upgrade the facilities around the hostel so you can have a facility to support sports development. We can have the development of cricket, maybe a hard tarmac so you can play other forms of sport, volleyball, even when we have the rainy season,” the President explained.

Additionally, acknowledging the students’ interests in the arts, Dr. Ali shared plans for an expansion that includes a new art room.

“We know that you want an art room, so we’re going to expand, put in a prefab building in there, so you can have your art room,” he added, emphasising the importance of providing a well-rounded education for all students.
Concluding his remarks, President Ali reaffirmed his commitment to providing high standards and excellent facilities for the students to thrive, ensuring that every opportunity is available for their growth and success.