THE ‘One Guyana Digital School’ initiative was officially launched on Tuesday, demonstrating the government’s commitment to modernising the education system. The programme, a unique and revolutionary concept of President, Dr Irfaan Ali, aims to integrate digital technologies into classrooms across the country and the wider Caribbean region. The ‘One Guyana Digital School’ is being implemented in partnership with the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).

This programme seeks to bridge the digital divide by ensuring that students from various socio-economic backgrounds have access to modern educational tools.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand marked the launch with visits to several schools in the capital city of Georgetown, including St Rose’s High School and the North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary School, where she engaged with Grades 10 and 11 students, teachers, and administrators to discuss the transformative potential of digital education.

Minister Manickchand emphasised the importance of this initiative, stating, “You don’t pay for this. This is literally free to you, but it requires your interest. What you have is the convenience of this at any time… it is right there at your fingertips. We are inviting you to register.”
“The ‘One Guyana Digital School’ is going to put all the content required for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations onto a platform in various forms, where you can access it. So, there are notes, videos, crosswords, tests, and multiple-choice quizzes where they test you,” she explained.  Using artificial intelligence, she said the system analyses those answers to identify areas where a particular student is weak or may need reinforcement.
As regards the Digital School, she noted that the government is investing a significant sum to purchase the necessary textbooks relevant to the subjects. She urged students to remain disciplined and complete their assigned tasks, emphasising the government’s significant investments in their education.

During her visits, Minister Manickchand participated in interactive classroom sessions where digital devices were used to facilitate lessons in subjects such as Mathematics, English, Social Studies, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Spanish and Integrated Science. Students also have access to past CSEC examination papers from the past 10 to 15 years. While interacting with the minister, students demonstrated their ability to use tablets and educational software to solve problems and collaborate on projects in real-time.
Meanwhile, several teachers expressed optimism about the initiative, noting that digital tools can cater to diverse learning styles and make complex concepts more accessible.

Recognising that the success of digital integration depends on the proficiency of educators, the ministry has implemented comprehensive training programmes. These programmes are designed to enhance teachers’ digital literacy so that they can effectively incorporate technology into their lesson plans. To support the ‘Guyana Digital School’ initiative, significant investments have been made in upgrading school infrastructure. This includes improving internet connectivity, establishing computer labs, and providing schools with digital devices such as tablets and interactive whiteboards. Minister Manickchand concluded her visits by reaffirming the government’s dedication to educational advancement, stressing that it is “President, Dr Ali’s dream of how to equalise and make everything available to everyone.”

The ‘One Guyana Digital School’ is said to be the first of its kind in the Caribbean.

Since returning to office in 2020, the government has launched several initiatives to enhance education across the country. These include the establishment of ‘smart’ classrooms, the construction of new schools and renovation of existing ones, as well as increases in teachers’ salaries and benefits, along with higher cash grants for schoolchildren.