Written by Michael Khan
THE University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC) at Tain, Corentyne officially launched its Social Work degree programme, and promised that more programmes of higher learning would be implemented in the near future.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Ms Jennifer Webster, yesterday, told a gathering in an auditorium of the university campus that the Government of Guyana, with the support of President Donald Ramotar and Education Minister Priya Manickchand, stands ready to support all of the UGBC initiatives that would benefit the nation.

“The Government of Guyana remains committed to providing the requisite support to ensure that we improve the quality of higher education delivered through this institution. From the level of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, we want to work together with UG to ensure that this programme is a success,” she declared.

HIGHER QUALITY OF SERVICE
Minister Webster pointed out that the initiative would provide more access to training, and the delivery of a higher quality of service to the Guyanese people.

In her address to students pursuing the Degree in Social Work at the UGBC, the minister reminded that their job is to assist people. “Today’s launch is quite a significant step taken by the Administration of the University of Guyana to support the social sector in the country through training and development of quality social service.
“As you all are aware, the Government is one of the largest employers of social work professionals. You are professionals in your own right, and you must see yourselves as being key and critical to Guyana’s development,” she posited.
The minister took the opportunity to applaud the efforts of the University of Guyana in expanding the Social Work Degree programme to Berbice through the UGBC. She also underscored the roles that social workers play in bettering the lives of vulnerable people.
She then charged: “Professionals who work assiduously in the social security system are the country’s greatest asset; and at no time any of you should lose sight of the plight of vulnerable persons who require help.”
Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at UG’s Turkeyen Campus, Dr. Paloma Mohamed, told the audience that the University of Guyana is on a mission to foster development at the UG Berbice campus, and provide the comfort for Berbice-based professionals who want to pursue higher learning.
“It’s a very significant and special moment for the University and the country. This process of reaching out, revisioning and understanding what the University does and is to the nation, started several months ago when we, as a faculty, decided to really think about what we should do to develop our country, she revealed.

INVALUABLE ASSET
The immense hardship of having working professionals travelling to Turkeyen Campus to pursue studies was impacting on the lives of the working class in the Ancient County, and implementation of the Social Work Degree programme will see improved performances, according to UGBC Head of the Sociology Department, Ms. Dionne Frank.
She added: “This would not only enhance the opportunities of Social Work students, but, in the long term trajectory, it would be an invaluable asset to the social and other agencies as they seek to address critical issues in Berbice.”
The programme would be offered only to entrants who possess a Diploma in Social Work with a GPA of 2.0 and above.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr. Jacob Opadeyi, in his brief address, said the Social Work degree programme is one of many that would be offered in future semesters. “For us to make all of this happen, we will have to improve the educational capacity in this region by having a pool of persons (lecturers) from here (Berbice) to institute the various programmes,” he indicated.
The programme was punctuated by the viewing of a vignette, the recitation of a poem, and a congratulatory address by the UNICEF Representative to Guyana and Suriname, Ms. Marianne Flach.
The mission of the University of Guyana is to discover, generate, disseminate, and apply knowledge of the highest standard for the service of the community, the nation, and all of mankind, with an atmosphere of academic freedom that allows for free and critical enquiry.