Building the future: Guyana’s education system marks unmatched progress

Guyana’s education sector has witnessed unprecedented growth and transformation over the past three and a half years, according to Minister of Education Priya Manickchand. 

Speaking on Tuesday’s episode of the Starting Point Podcast, Minister Manickchand highlighted that the gains in the education sector stem from deliberate policies to expand access, improve quality, and modernise the approaches to teaching and learning. 

She noted that the last five years in the sector will be remembered as a defining moment in the country’s history.

Despite the harsh and unprecedented conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister noted that the largest investments and actions were taken to deliver universal access and improve the quality of education.

“There have been massive changes and big moves [in the education sector]…I am very pleased about the last five years,” the minister highlighted.

Expanding access and infrastructure

Since August 2020, Minister Manickchand said the government has constructed or is building 42 new secondary schools across Guyana, contrasting that with the previous administration, which she noted did not complete a single secondary school.

Nursery and primary school facilities are also being built and upgraded, broadening access to education nationwide.

Investing in teachers

The training of teachers has been a cornerstone of the government’s reforms. Over 9,000 teachers have been trained within the last three and a half years, significantly increasing the number of qualified teachers in classrooms.

Hinterland and riverine communities saw the percentage of trained teachers rise from 43 per cent to 86 per cent, while the coast has improved from 63 per cent to 98 per cent.

Supporting students and teachers

Parents and students have also benefitted from financial support through the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant. Teachers are also benefitting from the school cash grant to purchase the necessary school supplies for their classrooms.

Modernising the sector with technology

The integration of technology in the education system has also been a priority. Smart classrooms are being introduced countrywide.

The education minister explained that learning is being made more engaging and fun for students through the use of television and animation.

Improved performances

The new national literacy programmes, which will begin when school reopens next month, aim to improve comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills across various grade levels.

Learning has been enhanced through the distribution of textbooks and other educational resources for students.

These interventions have already borne fruit, with notable improvements in performances at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).