Georgetown: In recognition of the fact that education is a pre-requisite to the successful development of a nation, Government has allowed for the allocation of a total of $26.5 billion to be directed to the education sector. This represents just about a $2.5 billion increase when compared to last year’s allocation.
As part of this allotment a sum of $3.3 billion has been assigned to ensuring that public education institutions are conducive to learning. This, according to Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, will see the national budget catering to the continued construction, extension, rehabilitation and maintenance of schools and other educational facilities countrywide. He revealed that the financial allocation will see the construction of a Nursery School at Turkeyen, the extension of the Parika Salem Secondary School and the Waramadong Dormitory and teaching block.
In addition, works on the La Bonne Intention (LBI), St. Pius and Diamond Primary Schools, Leonora Secondary School and dormitories at Charity and Sand Creek Secondary Schools, along with science and information technology laboratories are expected to be completed.
An additional $1 billion has been allocated towards the continued implementation of the National and Hinterland School Feeding Programmes, while the school Uniform Programme will continue, a two-prong initiative which is aimed at ensuring that every child is equipped with the basic necessities for school, Dr. Singh added.
The immense plans for the education sector will also see special emphasis being directed to those who are differently able with a view of empowering them to achieve personal fulfilment thus enabling them to make a productive contribution, Dr. Singh said. In this regard, he noted that “we have budgeted for the construction for an annexe at the Ptolomey Reid Rehabilitation Centre which caters for 60 differently able students and will be equipped with the essential sanitary facilities, furnishing, and a computer room.” Further, the training facility will be rehabilitated so as to provide technical and vocational training to the students at the centre, he added.
The Minister also alluded to the continuance of programmes aimed at making significant progress towards universal education, pointing out that 36 schools countrywide are being targeted for a pilot programme which will address key dimensions of education delivery. This, Dr. Singh said will include working closely with teachers and allocating adequate resources in an effort to improve performances in both Mathematics and English at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Certificate Education (CSEC) examinations.
According to Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, having pumped just about $24 billion, apart from teachers’ salaries, into the education sector on an annual basis, the government through the Priya Manickchand-headed Ministry of Education, is determined to reap value for money at this year’s CSEC examination. She revealed that based on a review of current capital type investment it has been deduced that “we are not seeing the corresponding rise in grades in the two particular subject areas of Maths and English,” according to the Minister. “This is one of the biggest Ministries in terms of the resources that are plugged into the Ministry but the result has not been proportionate to the investments made…the problem with that is very simple if our children can’t matriculate with Maths and English then it means they are going to be a lot of doors that are closed to them; in the job area and the further education area and we need to make sure that that changes.”
It was against this background that she saw it necessary to introduce the ambitious programme during the latter part of last year aiming for drastic improvements come results time.
Also as part of the efforts to ensure continued improvement of the sector, the Finance Minister on Friday revealed that one of Government’s key initiatives is to improve teachers’ quality by strengthening the institution involved in teacher training, and upgrading the training programmes offered. According to Dr. Singh, “we are proud to note that the proportion of trained teachers has consistently been increasing over the last five years, moving from 58 percent to 70 percent at the primary level and from 55 percent to 64 percent at the secondary level.” He noted though that as part of the measures to further improve these percentages, over $1.2 billion has been allotted towards teacher training.” This, according to him, includes provision for operational expenditure of the Cyril Potter College of Education, which is expected to produce 430 graduates from the Associate Degree in Education Programme in November this year, while another 800 students will complete the Trained Certificate Programme come July.
Dr. Singh pointed out too that information and communication technology (ICT) remains on Government’s front burner for the sector “as we accelerate training of our teachers with an aim of having 3,500 teachers trained by the end of 2012.” As a result, he noted that all secondary schools will be equipped with functioning ICT Departments even as the ICT-based Success Makers programme will be installed in 60 primary schools as teachers are trained in the use of this software as a teaching and learning aid, Dr. Singh said.
Another priority of the Government in the education sector is to ensure that the University of Guyana delivers quality education towards which over $900 million has been allocated. Dr. Singh revealed that with the completion of the preparatory work for the US$10M University of Guyana Science and Technology Project, $80 million has been allocated under this project towards the commencement of curriculum reform, research support and infrastructure rehabilitation. Moreover, another $450 million has been budgeted for the student loan programme, Dr. Singh added.
You must be logged in to post a comment.