More welfare and social support for Indigenous communities

— govt commits to continued development of hinterland educational institutions

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, October 10, 2019

Government is well on its way to bridging the divide between the coastland and the hinterland in the area of education, and in keeping with its quest to ensure every child across Guyana is afforded the same educational opportunity, the administration, through the Ministry of Education has recommitted this plan to Guyana’s hinterland communities.

“Teacher training, teacher preparation and teacher support, that is a very important part of what we do in the Ministry of Education,” stated Minister Henry.   

As the Honourable Minister made her presentation later this afternoon before the National Toshaos Council Conference, she made it clear that every step of the way, the government will provide support to communities across the country.

“We have had to provide training not only for new teachers who are coming into the system but also training for teachers who are already in the system. And we have been able to train many teachers in many of the communities which you are representing,” Minister Henry told the NTC.

However, support will not only come in the form of training, materials, technological advancement and infrastructure development but also via welfare and social support services.

“As you are aware, we have a lot of social issues in many of the communities,” explaining that “Mobile Psychosocial Unit, this is used by officers from the welfare department with other stakeholders to go around this country to address welfare issues and social issues,” she noted.

The Ministry of Education launched its Education Schools Welfare Unit back in 2018.

According to Minister Henry, the government was also in the process of resuscitating its Early Childhood and primary programmes in several regions, particularly in the hinterland.

Following her presentation, Toshaos and council members raised several issues for the government to address, these include; training for teachers, teacher accommodation, school repairs and transportation.

In response, the minister underscored that these matters were already being addressed, in addition to the creation of practical instruction centres where they were not available previously.

“I also want to point out that the University of Guyana is also supporting in a large way education delivery for persons of the hinterland and support of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, we now have a tertiary dorm to house as much as 120 students.”

The National Toshao Council Conference ends on Friday.