Hinterland Schools to benefit – $5.4BILLION for educational facilities’ maintenance

DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, November 28, 2018

A number of hinterland communities are set to benefit, as the sum of $5.4Billion was allocated for the construction, rehabilitation, extension and maintenance of educational facilities across the country in 2019.

Among those to benefit from major upgrades are Secondary Schools at Port Kaituma in Region One and the Wakapou in Region Two.

In his 2019 National Budget presentation on Monday, November 26, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan noted that primary schools, including those at Chenapau and Mahdia in Region Eight, and White Water, Region One, will benefit from improvements to their physical conditions and additional classroom space for students.

In his presentation, Minister Jordan explained that in 2018, learning resource centres at Mabaruma, Bartica, Kato and Lethem were outfitted; smart classrooms in Waramadong and Kato were completed. While a comprehensive overhaul of the school’s curricula began with the training of education professionals.

It was also highlighted by the Minister that the Ministry of Education also began to expand experiential learning for students at all levels, through the distribution of math and literacy kits. Smart Classrooms were introduced to improve learning and teaching by connecting students in the hinterland and coastal locations, especially to support the delivery of content for specific lessons, and for teacher training.

Additionally, considerable progress was also made in enhancing the capacity of post-secondary technical-vocational education training institutions to deliver competency-based teaching and training and to meet the standards which allow them to offer the Caribbean Vocational Qualification in a number of skill areas.

Synieka Thorne.

Image by Keno George.