Education, technology sector for vast transformation

– Coalition 2020 Manifesto

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Guyana’s education sector is set to see further transformation under the Coalition Government.  Already making impressive strides, the administration intends to go into its second term of government with a rigorous plan for the sector.

Through the introduction of the Public Education Transportation Service (PETS) and the Public Education Nutrition Service (PENS)  inestimable relief has been brought to parents and students.

According to the government’s 2020 Manifesto, the country will see the establishment of a first-class education system that will transform the lives of every citizen. The creation of an educated nation will also ensure that every child has the opportunity to attend school and receive a quality education.

“It is through education that our young people will be better positioned to make impactful contributions in the world by being creators and innovators. Our energies and resources will be invested in the creation of an education nation, affording all children, regardless of socio-economic background and where they live, similar opportunities to attain their full potential,” the government’s plan of action states.

Efforts will intensify in the drive towards an educated nation, to this end the government will:

– Implement the “Right to Education” as enshrined in Article 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana, which guarantees, “free education from nursery to university” as the right of every citizen;

– Ensure equitable and universal access to quality education in rural and hinterland communities;

– Establish a senior secondary (6th Form) school in the capital towns of every region;

– Emphasise Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM);

– Encourage students to undertake courses of study in fields which are critical to the petrochemical industry to increase local participation in the industry from the early stages and ultimately reduce dependence on foreign nationals;

– Implement an expanded Public Education Nutrition Service (PENS), so that all eligible students receive three meals at school, every day and implement an expanded Public Education Transportation Service (PETS) to provide increased support for students and disadvantaged persons;

– Train more teachers to improve student-teacher ratios by expanding the existing
CPCE campuses and building new campuses in capital towns;

– Modernise the curriculum and equip teachers with the technological tools to create workers and professionals for the future;

– Increase the allocation of duty-free concessions to teachers and education administrators;

– Improve national schools of Dance, Drama, Music and Art and increase support for the Critchlow Labour College and

– Build an Institute of Information & Communications Technology.

Meanwhile, the government’s objective for the technology sector surrounds complementing its renewable energy programme by increasing productivity countrywide and across all sectors, through ICT to improve efficiency, security, accountability, scalability and accessibility.

The administration will build on the tremendous strides made during its first term in office in advancing the “Digital State”.

This will see the national broadband project completed and implemented to enhance the access to information and the quality of communications for individuals especially persons living with disabilities (PWDs) and businesses

The rural and hinterland internet access programme will be completed.

The liberalisation of the country’s telecommunications sector will continue to ensure reduced costs for ICT services which will transform every school from nursery to university into technologically advanced centres of learning.

Teachers and students will be provided with a tablet or other electronic devices to enhance learning and promote digitization.

There will be continued targetted interventions aimed at upskilling young people in innovative technologies such as coding and STEM initiatives, robotics camps, avionics, girls in ICT and hackathons.

Additional ICT centres of Excellence will be established in all capital towns to benefit young and enterprising persons.

An ICT review of all Government processes to digitize public services will be conducted and the E-Government programme will be continued over the next five years.

There will be a redesigning of business processes to allow for electronic operations and transactions. While major government services including business registration, tax ID, passport and other applications will be placed online to improve access.

The establishment of smart classrooms and smart hospitals and health-care to increase and improve access to education and health care, especially for people in remote areas will be realised.