THE Ministry of Education has planned a series of activities to observe Education Month 2010, which will be held under the theme “Child-Friendly Homes: Child-Friendly Classrooms-Quality Education”. Activities for the month in September will officially get underway on the first day of the re-opening of school, with an address by Education Minister Shaik Baksh.
This will be followed by reading campaigns slated for the 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th at the Seawall, Lodge Community Centre, the Botanical Gardens and Albouystown.
This campaign will be open to children of all age groups and the objective is to stimulate their interest in reading and to promote the subject as an enjoyment activity.
During the exercises, children will be exposed to a wide array of literature as well as demonstrations on the art of reading and comprehension. The activities of the campaign are crafted in keeping with the theme of Education Month and parents are encouraged to accompany their children to these interactive sessions.
Officials early next week will finalize arrangements for the staging of a walk on September 8, which is expected to attract some 450 students from about 60 primary and secondary schools in Georgetown, to mark International Literacy Day.
The Theme for International Literacy Day 2010 is “The Power of Women’s Literacy”. On September 9, a senior teachers debating competition will be held at the Richard Ishmael Secondary School; and the next day, the winners of an essay competition organised by the Guyanese Assisting in Development (GUYAID) and the Ministry of Education will be honoured at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).
On September 15, some 1,000 students throughout the country who had a 98 per cent attendance rate in the last academic year will be presented with certificates in recognition of their achievement. The primary school and the secondary school with the highest attendance rate in the country, apart from receiving certificates, will be given special prizes at a ceremony billed for the National Gymnasium.
The nursery school quiz competition will get started at the East La Penitence Primary School on September 16. This leads up to round one of the Joseph Oscar Fitzclarence Haynes debating competition which begins on September 21 at the Diamond Secondary School.
On September 23, a national parents’ symposium covering a wide area of interests will be held at the Pegasus Hotel and on September 26, visitors who frequent the serene ambience of the Botanical Gardens will be given a treat when the Allied Arts Unit hosts a steel band presentation there.
The judging of child-friendly schools will begin on September 27 at schools in Regions Two, Six and Georgetown, followed by an education fair billed for the Ministry of Education Soft Ball Ground on Carifesta Avenue.
The Ministry of Education Soft Ball Ground will also host sports day slated for the next day.
International Teachers’ Day will be observed on October 5 and Minister Baksh will deliver an address and participate in an award presentation to mark the occasion which will be held at the National Cultural Centre.
World Teachers’ Day is being observed under the theme: “Recovery begins with Teachers”. Activities for Education Month will culminate with the National Awards Ceremony to honour the country’s top students and teachers. That occasion is also billed for the National Culture Centre.    During Education Month, Minister Baksh and senior education officials will be attending numerous face the community meetings throughout the country. Apart from this, there will be several public awareness programmes on radio and television to discuss various issues in education.
The Ministry of Education next weekend will also publish in the daily newspapers an Education Supplement which addresses a range of issues mainly pertaining to the theme of Education Month.