Minister of Education Priya Manickchand on Friday commissioned the first smart classroom in Education District Four at President’s College.
The Ministry of Education said the smart classroom will benefit 299 resident students and 577 students who are currently enrolled at the school but are at home.
In a statement, the ministry explained that to allow students to attend virtual classes, the room has a smartboard, cameras with face recognition, microphones and a smart television. Teachers of any subject would be able to use the room to reach out to their students.
Minister Manickchand, who commissioned the classroom in the presence of students and teachers from the school, said that it will make a significant difference not only for President’s College students but also for students from other schools.
On this latter point, she referred to the virtual reinforcement classes being offered to students from 12 hinterland secondary schools as they prepare for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination in 2021. She stated that there are teachers from Georgetown, Linden, and Diamond on Demerara’s East Bank who are delivering virtual lessons to those hinterland students.
According to Manickchand, the development demonstrates the importance and value of technology in the education sector and will contribute to the Ministry of Education’s efforts to close the gap in access to quality education between students in the hinterland and those on the coast.
According to her, the smart classroom at President’s College is the eighth in Guyana and the first to be commissioned at a dorm school.
The Education Minister stated that the intention is to install smart classrooms in 20 of Guyana’s 114 secondary schools. She said that this will allow schools to access teachers from other schools if they don’t have a teacher for a specific subject.
She also stated that it is critical for the Government of Guyana and the Ministry of Education to provide equal access to learning for all students. She stated that President’s College will soon help to tell the story of how, with the right resources, any student can succeed.
She explained that as a result of COVID-19, several students who were not placed at the school were identified to attend President’s College because they were not being engaged. According to the minister, the performance of those students will demonstrate that all students require, is the right environment, support and resources to succeed.
According to the statement, Samantha Success, the school’s principal, stated that the smart classroom is in line with the school’s vision and mission.