PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar said yesterday that if Guyana is going to accelerate social and economic development and put an end to poverty, education has a key role to play in the struggle.
| “We have to increase the capacity of our people and the only way I know that can be done is by improving the educational standards within our country.”– President Ramotar |
He was speaking at a rally, aimed at promoting partnership for education delivery, in Queen’s College (QC) Auditorium on Thomas Road, Georgetown.
The Head of State said if more attention is given to the allotted money in the budget, it can be seen that a large portion of the expenses goes to the social sector, of which education is a major part.
He declared that there is no better investment than that in education, as by investing in education an investment is being made in the future of Guyana.
Mr. Ramotar said the most important factor for development is people and added: “We have to increase the capacity of our people and the only way I know that can be done is by improving the educational standards within our country.”
He said equality in education can only be achieved if conditions are created in which educational opportunities provided are fully utilized, and noted the emphasis government is placing on the building of schools and dormitories in the interior locations.
President Ramotar said looking at the results of any examination, there is a broader spread with regard to, from which schools the top performers come. He remembered that, several years ago, one could have counted on one hand from where the outstanding ones came and compared that to the fact that the top successful candidate at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination was from Essequibo.
He observed that science and technology has been playing a prominent role in societal development and said constant focus needs to be placed on improving the quality of education, teaching students to think critically and ensuring that they become multi-disciplined, in order for them to compete with the rest of the world.
Mr. Ramotar acknowledged that the private sector plays an important part in developing national educational standards and should be encouraged to give scholarships to students to attend various higher institutions locally and even to go abroad.
President Ramotar disclosed that United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has formed a body to look at global education, and he has been invited to sit on the steering committee, the first meeting of which he will be attending on September 26.
Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2012/09/08/at-rally-on-partnership-president-ramotar-emphasises-education-key-role-in-ending-poverty