Tiger Bay children to benefit from neighbourhood study hub

─ more than 85 children already registered

Several children residing in Tiger Bay, Georgetown and surrounding communities now have the opportunity to hone their academic skills following the opening of a neighbourhood study hub.

The education undertaking was launched by President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Wednesday, and is a collaboration between the government and the School of the Nations.

President Ali said while the concept is not new to Guyana, it is essential especially at a time when the administration is aggressively pushing to bridge the education gaps in Guyana.

“In education you have to be dynamic because the conditions through which you deliver education is continuously changing,” he said, while addressing the small ceremony.

He stated that it is important for Guyana to move towards a path to further advance the programmes at the education ministry.

This, Dr Ali believes could see a solid outcome if there is full partnership with the corporate community.

The president underscored that the objective of the programme goes way beyond preparing children for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination or the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

“We want this facility that we are offering through the Ministry of Education in partnership with School of the Nations to address comprehensively the issue of numeracy and literacy,” he added.

Importantly too, the head of state posited that the children of the study hub will also benefit from the education ministry’s school feeding programme, which he noted, will contribute to an environment conducive to learning.

Through partnership, the Ministry of Education plans to implement the initiative in Bare Root, East Coast of Demerara; Bath, West Berbice; Canje, East Berbice and Soesdyke, Linden Highway.

The ministry is also working on a plan to have persons who are part of government’s part-time jobs programme to dedicate their time to the study hubs.

The president stressed the importance of building programmes that are sustainable and expressed his government’s position on lending support to ensure the project advances.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand told parents gathered that the programme is capable enough to make a sizeable difference in their children’s life.

She underscored that apart from the study hub initiative, government is also looking at another strategy where children whose reading ability is not up to par with their grade level receive special attention.

“We are not saying that as an empty promise, it’s going to be matched by accompanying action. In every school a different level, we are putting in a pull-out teacher, where if students are not reading at their appropriate grade level, they will get remediation within the school itself. Every single school will see that,” the education minister assured.

Meanwhile, Director of School of the Nations, Pamela O’Toole remarked that the private institution stands ready to rectify the education woes in the community.

“We need to act now to reverse educational losses and rise in learning poverty…there is a way to identify and carry out reforms, build capacity and look to innovative solutions that invest in students. I can’t think of a better phrase to describe the neighourhood study hub than an innovative solution that invests in students,” she noted.