IN an effort to ensure the timely release of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has released an update for parents, indicating that the marking of all the NGSA papers has been completed. 

Currently, the marked examination scripts are being processed nationally, and all systems are in place and functioning optimally to guarantee the release of the results as promised by the ministry, by Friday, June 27, 2014.
This marks the second consecutive year that the MOE will be releasing the NGSA results promptly as indicated, through the continued enhancement of the overall quality management processes of the examination.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on April 16 disclosed that the NGSA results will be made available on June 27 this year. “We are in a far better place than we were and this year even before the children started their exams they already know when results will be issued. This was something our sector needed to standardise and we did, so it’s in now, within our calendar and it’s the first time also that we have done this.”
Manickchand related during an invited comment that the ministry is expecting to see results like they have been receiving for the last few years since the sector has now been able to distribute services across Guyana.
She said that schools outside of Georgetown are now able to compete with Georgetown and “this is because of our conscious efforts to equitably distribute services throughout the country – that is if we have textbooks in Georgetown, we have the same in Berbice, Essequibo and elsewhere.”

National Grade Two Assessment

The ministry also wishes to inform parents that the National Grade Two Assessment commences on Monday, June 9, 2014, and concludes on Friday, June 20, 2014. Parents are urged to note that this assessment is conducted in two parts – oral and written – and are asked to ensure that they help in the preparation of their children for this very important assessment.

Parents of Grade Four students are also being reminded that the National Grade Four Assessment will take place on Wednesday, June 18 and Thursday, June 19, 2014. The National Grade Nine Assessment will commence on Tuesday, June 17 and conclude on Thursday, June 20, 2014.
In 2013, for the first time, the earliest release of the NGSA results was promised by Minister Manickchand. This year 15,500 students wrote the NGSA exams which were held on Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17, 2014 at centres across Guyana.

Source: (By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally) https://guyanachronicle.com/2014/05/15/ngsa-marking-completed-systems-in-place-for-release-of-results-by-june-27

The Ministry of Education has announced that the marking of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) papers has been completed and it is on track to release the results by its Friday, June 27 deadline.

Currently, the scripts are being processed nationally and all systems are in place and functioning optimally, to guarantee the release of the results on the said date, the ministry said in a press release.

Last year saw the earliest release of the results and the ministry aims to emulate this by keeping the process streamlined. The NGSA was held on Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17 at centres across Guyana.

Meanwhile, the National Grade Two Assessment is scheduled for Monday June 9 and concludes on Friday June 20. Parents are urged to note that this assessment is conducted in two parts: oral and written, and as such they should take steps to ensure that their children are prepared for it.

Parents of Grade Four children are also reminded that the National Grade Four Assessment will take place on Wednesday June 18 and Thursday June 19. In addition, the National Grade Nine Assessment will start on Tuesday June 17 and conclude on Thursday June 20.

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2014/news/guyana/05/15/marking-completed-grade-six-assessment/

GUYANA yesterday joined the rest of the Caribbean in launching the ‘New Generation’ of Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination (CAPE) subjects at the Theatre Guild on Parade Street, Kingston. 

After winning the Agricultural Science subject award since 2008, it was only fitting that Guyana should offer Agricultural Science at CAPE.

Over the years, the Caribbean agricultural agenda through the Caribbean Agricultural Research & Development Institute (CARDI) has continued to be driven by the sequence of initiatives following the declaration of the

Speaking briefly at the function, CARDI Representative, Norman Gibson said “since 2007, CARDI has been involved with CXC (Caribbean Examination Council) and we have been providing a prize for the most outstanding student in Agricultural Science. And since 2008, Guyana has been winning that prize, it is recognised that Guyanese students over the years have been outstanding in this sector.”Treaty of Chaguaramas, July 1973. These include the Regional Transformation Programme for Agriculture (RTP), and ‘The Jagdeo Initiative’, which was conceptualised to accelerate its implementation.

According to Glenroy Cumberbatch, acting Registrar of CXC, “This step is a giant leap towards providing our youth with the knowledge, the confidence and insights needed to change the quality of products we put forward.

“In Agricultural Science, it would put our prospective farmers in a better position to make evidence-based and informed judgments and decisions on implementing best-practices to enhance the sector over time, and on preserving the environment and this can be the same for the other four subjects too.” He further explained that each syllabus was designed with an input from all member state countries.

“Guyana could have justifiably launched any of the five subjects here today, but seeing that we have been awarded best outstanding student in Agricultural Science since 2008, it is fitting that Guyana launches the Agricultural Science,” said Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand at the function.

Manickchand said that “CXC has really done what is absolutely necessary in our region today, and this is not the end as we heard. Guyana is fully supportive of any efforts that will do well for CARICOM countries, and CXC will continue to receive the support from the people and the Government of Guyana.” And with the present generation being more inclined to business, she said, this initiative of the CXC couldn’t come at a better time, since it will help them make the right decisions and be properly qualified.

The CAPE Agricultural Science syllabus is so designed as to help students with the essentials of business ownership, legal and regulatory frameworks and the importance of market research, among other aspects.

Meanwhile, in his feature address, Minister of Agriculture, Dr Leslie Ramsammy pointed out that “before time, farming was for those who failed, or for those who could not do anything better, as we propagate that success is being a doctor or lawyer, an accountant and we treat our farmers as peasants but not anymore.

“We are equipping our youth for the future in farming, giving them the necessary knowledge and understanding of the importance of agriculture as it relates to food and the environment, and the multi-functionality of territories of the Caribbean region.”

“Only recently Guyana has exceeded 300,000 tonnes of rice as the first crop production for 2014; it is the first time in our history as well as the Caribbean’s history. Last year we produced 535,000 tonnes of rice and we are working to achieve 600,000 tonnes in 2014 which seems like a real possibility. And it is possible because of science and technology; it has transformed the agriculture industry in Guyana and in our region,” Ramsammy said.

GENETIC SCIENCE
He said further that there is a group of Guyanese scientists at the Rice Research Center using genetic science to produce crops that can withstand the adverse weather while producing more in the same given land.
“We have grown and reaped our first batch of ‘Irish’ potatoes, carrots and beets, and this is because our farmers are now equipped with the tools needed,” Ramsammy said.

And with what CAPE has done in launching these new subjects,he said, “we will see the Caribbean students’ willingness not to imitate what the world set out for them but to lead.”

FIVE NEW CAPE SUBJECTS
The five new CAPE subjects for teaching in September 2014 and the first examination in 2015 are Agricultural Science, Entrepreneurship, Performing Arts, Physical Education and Sport, and Tourism.
The five subjects will be launched in five CXC participating countries, with each event having a specific subject theme. The first launch took place on Friday, May 9th in Barbados and the theme for the event in Barbados was Tourism.

On Thursday, May 15, the launch will continue at the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce Headquarters, Westmoorings, Port of Spain and the theme in Trinidad and Tobago is Entrepreneurship. St Lucia will host the launch which focuses on the Performing Arts on Friday, May 16th at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) and the final launch will take place in Jamaica on Tuesday, May 20th with Physical Education and Sport as the theme at The Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston, starting at 10:00 am.

CXC is partnering with various stakeholders to host the different events. These include the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) of St Lucia, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and various tertiary institutions in Jamaica.

The introduction of the five new subjects follows the launch of Digital Media in September 2013. This now brings the total number of subjects offered at CAPE to 30.

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2014/05/12/ramsammy-hails-agriculture-as-ticket-to-a-prosperous-future

Guyana Learning Channel has built 15 transmission facilities across the country as part of its programme to ensure coverage.

According to the Ministry of Education yesterday, it has now reached as far as Ituni, in Region 10.
The Ministry disclosed that it will soon be commencing a monitoring and evaluation programme to ascertain whether residents are indeed receiving the channel. This exercise will also seek to address any other unintended technical issues that might otherwise prevent residents from proper access to the channel.
The Ministry will also be conducting awareness sessions to teach residents how to access the signal. The next transmission facility to be completed is earmarked for Karasabai, Region Nine.
“The Guyana Learning Channel was launched on April 1, 2011 under similar principles as Public Educational Broadcasting Services around the world and Open Education assumptions ascribing to creative commons copyright principles,” the release said.
It is a satellite communication network that facilitates the production and nationwide broadcast of educational programmes.

The spotlight on the initiative came to the fore last year after it was disclosed in the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly that Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby, a close friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, was being paid $3.6M monthly to put the Guyana Learning Channel on the air.
“The Guyana Learning Channel has the use of a teleport that was created at the time of its set-up since there was no other teleport capable of up-linking video signals in existence in Guyana before or since,” Manickchand said then.
According to the Minister, every wireless communication device utilizes electro-magnetic spectrum and the Learning Channel has minimized use of the electro-magnetic spectrum by reusing the same channel in different regions of the country such as Channel 3 in New Amsterdam, Lethem, Mabaruma and Ituni, and Channel 10 in Kwakwani, Orealla, Linden and Port Kaituma.

She said that for the Learning Channel to send the signal to the satellite, it would have had to set up a commensurate service that would have required an initial capital outlay of US$150,000-plus monthly recurring costs of over $4M in bandwidth rental and associated services.
Manickchand stated that the Learning Channel is using “the only teleport capable of up-linking video-signals in existence in Guyana.”
She added that because the Learning Channel’s bandwidth is bundled with the bandwidth of TVG they are able to negotiate better rates from the satellite operators.
Access to the Learning Channel in Region One is in the areas of Mabaruma, Morawhanna, Hosororo, Port Kaituma and Arakaka.

Region Two is getting from Georgetown and not from Anna Regina due to a technical issue, the Minister said. She noted that soon other communities on the Essequibo Coast, including Santa Rosa, Saint Monica, Pomeroon, and dozens of other surrounding communities will be benefitting from the learning Channel.
Bartica from Mora Point, Saint Edward Mission, Cuyuni area and mining camps are where the Learning Channel is broadcast in Regions Seven and Eight.
Access to the Learning Channel stretches across the coast, from Parika, Rosignol to New Amsterdam and up the Corentyne Coast to Skeldon and Black Bush Polder and other areas.

The Channel also reaches Linden and Kwakwani in Region Ten, Mahdia and its environs in Region Eight, Annai, Lethem, Nappi, Sand Creek, Aishalton and their environs in Region Nine.

The village of Orealla in the Berbice River would be able to receive the signal of the Learning Channel soon, as would Karasabai and its environs in Region Nine and Ituni and its environs in Region Ten.
Communities in valleys and outside of signal reach will have dishes and receivers for direct satellite feed in community centres and learning resource centres. Among those communities are Paramakatoi and Imbaimadai. Matthews Ridge will receive a transmitter for access by all in collaboration with the mining companies in that area, the Minister said.

Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2014/05/09/learning-channel-has-built-15-transmission-facilities-across-the-country-education-ministry/

HISTORY was created yesterday when one physically impaired and nine visually impaired students of the Guyana Society for the Blind sat Human and Social Biology at the CSEC examinations as the first of five subjects they are registered to write.

Their participation facilitated by a voice-aided computer software, the ten students: Rosemarie Ramitt, Leroy Phillip, Odessa Blair, Diane Singh, Anthony Robinson, Douglas Tika, Roy Stewart, Muesa Haynes, Vishaul Mohabir; and Laurel Lewis, who is physically impaired, wrote the exams at the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) building in Thomas Lands, Georgetown.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand described the event as one that went through a procedure of good planning. She expressed how inspiring this event has been to her, stating that it was a remarkable feeling to know that, despite their respective disabilities, the students opted to pursue their education, and not limit themselves.

She admonished the students not to be fearful, and stressed that their persistence to throw off limitations and achieve equality was admirable and very commendable.

Manickchand also expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) team, which was the driving force of the initiative and which paved a way for all this to be possible through comprehensive planning by Coordinator of the programme, Ganesh Singh.

She indicated that such a programme — which is historical, since no country in the Caribbean has ever had so many disabled students writing the exam electronically — is a manifestation of the Government’s commitment to provide better education to Guyanese.

Training was provided to the students who sat the examination by OLPF staff members, who also rendered assistance in maintaining the laptops.
Coordinator of the project and member of the Guyana Society for the Blind, Ganesh Singh, who has been instrumental in setting up the programme, explained that teachers were provided for the students for an eighteen-month training by the Ministry of Education.

The students, ninety percent of whom are blind or visually impaired, sat the exam independently, since they were trained to accurately use the keyboard. The examination was designed in such a way that a softcopy would be downloaded onto their laptops and the voice automated software would read the examination paper to them. The exam personnel would then print the answer sheets and they would be presented to the CXC Exams Division.
Project Manager of the OLPF project, Margo Boyce, was delighted to know that the initiative, launched a few years ago by the Government of Guyana, is having such a tremendous impact on the society. She noted that “it is equally important that we remember those who are disabled or impaired, and render assistance so that as much potential can be tapped into.”

Source: (By Ravin Singh) http://guyanachronicle.com/2014/05/09/guyana-society-for-the-blind-olpf-create-history-at-csec-examination

The Resource Unit for the Visually Impaired was established to give special needs students the opportunity to receive quality education in a much more conducive environment.
Yesterday, the unit located on Albert Street, Alberttown was officially commissioned by Education, Minister Priya Manickchand.
There was an existing building. Some $7M was used to transform the building to accommodate the programme.
Recognising that not enough emphasis was being placed on Special Education Needs (SEN), Government through the Education Ministry constructed this institution to ensure that such children are much more comfortable, allowing them to excel both recreationally and academically.

Minister Manickchand stated that it is universally accepted that education is the one sure way of changing circumstances. She said that Government understands that if it’s to take Guyana to higher levels, it must invest in the education sector, and throughout the years there has been a consistent commitment in this regard. The Education Minister said that noticeably, there have been tremendous results because of these investments.
“We are at a place now where we can truly expand and look at things where perhaps we have not been looking at carefully before…how we educate our children with special needs had not gotten the kind of attention it deserves if we are to properly meet the needs of children with special needs,” Minister Manickchand noted.

“Over the years, we have spent a lot of time, interest and money in changing that and so now we have far better infrastructure even though there is better we can do, we don’t have exercise books shortage and we have been meeting basic needs…overall the sector has done better,” Minister Manickchand explained.

Meanwhile, Principal Education Officer, Baydewan Rambarran, said that this was another step in the continuation of providing quality education.  Educating special needs children, he said is very important and the commissioning of the Unit is evidence that the ministry is determined to ensure all children receive the education that is much needed for their individual development.
Chief Planning Officer and Chairperson of the National Commission on Disability, Evelyn Hamilton said that the ministry is becoming what it should be, a learning organisation where every child can receive quality education.
Over the next five years, the ministry will be developing a data base for Special Education Needs (SEN) to screen children of Nursery and Primary levels, conduct community-based child-find surveys of children not in school system and record annually the number of SEN children in the school system.

“We at the MOE intend to see that SEN children’s access to educational opportunities increase within the plan period. This will be done through a multifaceted approach that will see us publicising the policy guidelines for SEN children accessing educational opportunities, improving the quality of education service delivered by special schools, fast-tracking urgent repairs and rehabilitation works to special schools and mainstreaming SEN children over the five-year period,” Minister Manickchand stated.

Focus will also be on increasing SEN children’s access to educational opportunities by improving the quality of education offered, implementing policy guidelines and fast-tracking urgent repairs and rehabilitation works for special schools.

The ministry will also be seeking alternatives for SEN children to acquire basic work and life skills, while teachers will also be trained in different areas to deal with such children.

Source: (GINA) https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2014/05/08/education-ministry-commissions-special-facility-for-visually-impaired-students/

Visually-impaired students across Georgetown will now have access to education which is specifically designed for them with the opening of the Ministry of Education’s Visually Impaired Resource Unit.

At the opening ceremony yesterday, Principal Education Officer Baydewan Rambarran said that its presence is yet “another step in the continuum of [our] mandate to provide education, especially special education for our nation’s children.” He added that the establishment of the unit was just a “small part of an overall vision” and he revealed that the ministry hopes to establish more locations across the country which caters to children with disabilities.

The unit, which was officially opened yesterday by Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, is located at 144 Albert Street, Alberttown. It has, however, been functioning for quite some time and has been catering to students who would have transferred from the David Rose Special School. The special needs programme was first established with the opening of the David Rose school in the 70s and it has helped those with disabilities acquire an education.

Speaking to students of the unit and members involved in the project at the ceremony, Rambarran said that the unit will enable the visually impaired students to “achieve a higher level of proficiency and self-sufficiency.” According to Chairperson Evelyn Hamilton, like the students from the Guyana Society for the Blind, these students will also have access to computers equipped with the programme JAWS (Job Access With Speech), which is an interactive learning programme designed to aid visually impaired computer users. Hamilton also said that the students of the unit will be catered to individually by teachers specially trained to facilitate their education. For students with limited use of their vision, learning materials will be available in large print and for those who are blind, learning materials will be available in braille or in audio versions.

Veteran journalist Julie Lewis, who spoke at the commissioning ceremony, is a product of the education system geared towards those who are visually impaired. In her brief talk, Lewis said that she hoped to inspire all the children of the unit and hoped that they will be encouraged to make their best of their situation. Lewis, who is visually impaired, was among the first blind students to graduate from the David Rose School. She said that she was also the first totally blind person in Guyana to write A-levels and the first blind person to obtain a degree from the University of Guyana. She believes that her achievements as an individual are proof that being visually impaired does not mean that one cannot be successful in life.

Meanwhile, in her address, Minister Manickchand emphasised that the time to cater to the minority is now, as a nation is only as strong as its weakest link. “Education is the surest way of changing circumstances,” she said. “It is the surest way of changing the human condition for the better.” She further proclaimed that “it would be a dereliction of duty if we did not look at the areas that were unseen.”

Manickchand also stated that under the present government, the entire education sector has drastically improved.

According to her, when the present government came into power, it found “a broken country, dilapidated education system and buildings in a state of disrepair.” She also asserted that the sector has grown and overcome those odds as the school systems are functioning well enough for the ministry to undertake the development of a special needs school. She noted that once there were only 30% trained teachers and now the amount of trained teachers surpasses 70%.

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2014/news/guyana/05/08/ministry-resource-unit-tailor-education-visually-impaired-students/

– as Manickchand commissions Resource Unit for Visually Impaired

THE Ministry of Education is in the process of developing a five-year strategic work plan aimed at delivering better special needs education service to the nation’s children.A great part of this strategic plan which is soon to be released will see numerous programmes, initiatives and new arrangements being put in place to ensure better inclusion within the education sector for children with special disabilities.

This was announced by Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Wednesday as she commissioned the Resource Unit for the Visually Impaired.

Manickchand told the gathering that the ministry has a report that will determine what will be the plan of action and the way forward for the ministry over the next five years. She added that her ministry is in the process of publishing a document to that effect.
A critical part of the document, she said, is the volume two aspect of the plan which will give details and spell out exactly how the ministry hopes to go about implementing the various programmes and initiatives of the work plan over the five-year period.
Among the areas to be addressed in the plan, focusing directly on children with special needs and their education, are the creation of a database which will guide the ministry on the number of disabled children and where they are located.

She said that this is very important since it will guide the ministry on the number of children they need to cater for and where the various centres and programmes need to be established.
Without the database, the ministry could end up in a situation where services are being rolled out in an area where it is presumed that these children are located or have access to, but the facts may tell a different story.
The five-year plan will also focus on literacy, early childhood education, technology and the sciences. She said that every single aspect of educating children will be addressed in the strategic plan and this came about following a series of consultations.

Meanwhile, the rolling out of the programmes will not be restricted to central points but every single region, the minister added. She said that systems will be put in place to ensure that the regions are involved in the process since this will make it easy for everyone to follow what’s happening.

DAVID ROSE SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOL
The five-year work plan starts from this year and already on the cards is the purchasing of a bus for the David Rose Special Needs School, something they have long required.
Minister Manickchand also told the gathering on Wednesday that the ministry would be looking to revamp its management to ensure there is better oversight of programmes and integration of the disabled.

SPECIAL NEEDS DEPARTMENT
Moreover, there is also a plan by the ministry to establish a special department in the Education Ministry to deal with the issue of special needs children and their schooling. Also planned is a system to allow for the screening of children at nursery and first-year levels to ascertain if they have any signs or forms of disability. This, however, has to be done in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, it was reported.

‘CHILD-FIND’ SURVEY
The Education Ministry will also be doing its own ‘child-find’ survey to determine how many disabled children are not attending school and the reasons for this. The issue of access to education and opportunities are also on the cards in the ministry’s five-year plan.
The overall goal of the Ministry of Education in the five-year plan has a lot to do with the formation of policy guidelines to ensure that persons with disabilities receive a high quality of education services.
In the meantime, basic work and life skills will not be left off the cards and according to Minister Manickchand, the ministry understands the need to have the children receive skills to carry them through life, even if they cannot effectively cope with academics.
In the quest to have better educational access and inclusion of persons with disabilities, the Ministry of Education has also taken note of the persons who have to work with the students in the integration process.
Minister Manickchand observed that one of the hardest tasks in the five-year plan may be the issue of conducting training needs assessments for teachers in the Special Needs School System and the mapping out of career paths, while ensuring their development.
This aspect will be done for those in the mainstream programmes of special education, while there will be standards adopted to assess the performance of special needs children. In addition, a curriculum guide to embrace students with disabilities will be developed.

Source: (By Leroy Smith ) http://guyanachronicle.com/2014/05/08/five-year-education-work-plan-aims-to-improve-special-needs-education

EDUCATION Minister Priya Manickchand has disclosed that more students are now enrolling in the sciences for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams (commonly called CXC) which has started and will continue until June.

The Education Minister said she expects Guyana to achieve greater success than before.
In an invited comment, Minister Manickchand said “our students have been enrolling in more subjects and still continue to do better in these subjects than ever before.”
She also noted that “we should as a country celebrate the fact that good CXC results are not being centralised in Georgetown but schools across the country have recently been shining also. This has been the Government’s vision for the education system in our country and it was able to achieve this significant milestone and growth in this sector because of specific and calculated strategic and very conscious investments being made in this sector.”
Manickchand acknowledged, however, that like the rest of the world “we have challenges we face – for example, ‘how do we achieve better results in Mathematics and in English. How do we get more students interested in the science subjects?’ Our team is at present working tirelessly to eradicate these challenges.”
The CSEC examinations are usually taken by students after five years of secondary school, and mark the end of standard secondary education. The CSEC exams are equivalent to the Ordinary Level (‘O’Level) examinations and are targeted at students sixteen years and older. The CSEC examinations are often called the CXC examinations as they were the only examinations offered by the CXC from 1979 until 1998.

Guyana, last year, again etched its name comfortably into the annals of history having attained five of the eight Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)’s awards available to candidates who performed exceptionally Region-wide at the 2013 sitting of the CSEC Examination.

Source: Written By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally https://guyanachronicle.com/2014/05/07/more-students-now-enrolling-in-sciences-for-csec-exams-according-to-education-minister

AS we celebrate workers of all classes in our society today, we at the Ministry of Education salute and celebrate our hard working and dedicated teachers and administrative staff who work ardently every day to shape the young minds and the future of Guyana. 

There are no set of words that can amply describe the importance of teachers in any society. The teaching profession is regarded worldwide as the mother of all professions, since it provides the foundation for learning in an individual, upon which all greater academic achievement rests.

Teachers continue to benefit in numerous ways through the partnerships and agreements established by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Guyana Teachers Union, as together we strive to improve the working conditions of our teachers. Through the shrewd leadership of the GTU and its strategic engagements with the Ministry, along with the commitment of the PPP/C Government, teachers today enjoy the best benefits ever made available to them in the history of Guyana. While there is always room for improvement in all conditions of life, our teachers are being paid the most they have ever been paid in 20 years, and enjoy more benefits than ever before.In other words, teachers are the crucial guardians of intellectual life in any society. The Government of Guyana recognizes this, and has always placed great value on our teachers. And we have matched that value with real actions within the last two decades, which have significantly improved the quality of life for our teachers.

Today more teachers are being trained in Guyana than two decades ago. And very soon we will create history in Guyana when we elevate the teaching profession to its rightful place among the other recognized professions in Guyana, with the introduction of the Professional Standards for Teacher Education.

We look forward to the continued support of the Guyana Teachers Union as we work together to better the working conditions of our teachers. The Ministry of Education remains committed to improving the quality of teacher education in Guyana, and ultimately, the quality of teachers we place in the education system. Education is one of our nation’s biggest industries, and we, as a government, will continue to invest in it so that we can raise better generations of Guyanese citizens.

As we reflect on the importance of Labour Day, let us remember the past from which we came, and work assiduously to affect positively the future we will enjoy. Today we celebrate our hard working teachers in a profession that continues to improve through the unremitting commitment of a caring Government.
Let us continue the progress we have made so far in this most noble profession, and work in solidarity to build on that progress to make the teaching profession better.

May God bless our teachers and our nation.

Priya Manickchand,
Minister of Education