President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Friday morning launched the historic Guyana Digital School at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, declaring it a transformational investment that will redefine education delivery for Guyana and the wider CARICOM region.
Addressing students, teachers and regional stakeholders including hundreds online, the President described the initiative as a “national development project, a regional development project, an economic transformation project, a survival project and a prosperity project” that will prepare the next generation for the realities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
President Ali said the digital school is not only a milestone for Guyana but also for regional integration and the dream of a unified Caribbean learning space.
President Ali delivering the feature remarks at the launch of the Guyana Digital School on Friday
“Today is a very important day for our region. It is a day that many who came before us hoped for, when children from Barbados, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat and Guyana can be in one classroom, in one environment, sharing one story,” the president said.
He noted that for the first time, students across CARICOM states can learn from each other’s cultures.
“How beautiful is that, when children across our region can be in the same lab, conducting an experiment, fusing our different cultures, telling our different stories and building truly the one Caribbean region we all want?”
The president emphasised that the Digital School supports his administration’s mission of equity, dignity, and unity.
“Today, we are breaking all of those barriers. Today, we are building a fully unified society where there is only one mission, One Guyana, one country, one champion, and that is the best,” according to the head of state.
Students from Marian Academy during an interactive session at the launch of the Guyana Digital School
The head of state urged students to embrace positivity, build friendships, and reject divisive attitudes.
President Ali explained that the world is changing faster than ever as nations transition into what is widely regarded as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by artificial intelligence, automation, biotechnology and digital integration.
Guyana, he said, refuses to be left behind.
“The world has changed and is changing faster than any time before in human history. If we are to survive, we have to get on board now,” president Ali said.
He shared that before the end of next year, Guyana will perform its first robotic-assisted surgery, with specialists conducting the procedure in the United States while the patient is in an operating theatre in Guyana, demonstrating the digital future that students must be prepared to navigate.
The digital school, he said, gives every child a head start.
“This school is already giving you the experience of working in such environments. It is preparing you for the reality of the new world,” Dr Ali said.
The president recalled the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, including limited devices, uneven connectivity and gaps in digital literacy. However, he stressed that these lessons accelerated national readiness for today’s landmark launch.
He highlighted the government’s investments in connecting more than 253 hinterland communities, improving broadband in schools and health centres, and strengthening teachers’ training.
“A child in High Potential must have the same access to quality learning as a child in Georgetown. A child in Barbados must have the same access as a child in Guyana,” president Ali said.
A major feature of the digital school is a regional digital library offering all CSEC textbooks and learning materials to every student in every participating CARICOM state.
President Ali was adamant that, “All our children in CARICOM will now have no excuse when it comes to accessing study materials. This is what we meant when we said Guyana’s prosperity will be the prosperity of CARICOM.”
President Ali said Guyana is deliberately preparing students for industries that may not yet exist, ensuring that the country transitions from a resource-based economy to one driven by innovation, digital skills and high-value technology.
“We are delivering a country that will support you in 2050 by the investments we are making now. This school is an investment in the future, a declaration that Guyana refuses to be left behind,” the head of state said.
President Ali emphasised that digital education will make the national system resilient, especially during natural disasters when connectivity and electricity are the priorities.
President Ali urged students and teachers to approach the Digital School not as a temporary project, but as the beginning of a new era in national development.
“Today is not the end of the project; it is the beginning of an era. An era in which every Guyanese child has access to the world from wherever they are,” President Ali said.
