A total of 1,502 teachers, the second-largest cohort in the institution’s history, crossed the podium at the Cyril Potter College of Education’s graduation ceremony on Friday.

The graduation ceremony which took place at the National Stadium in Providence, East Bank Demerara, saw teachers from all walks of life and across Guyana’s diverse regions, receive diplomas in various categories, including early childhood, primary, and secondary education, as well as technical and vocational education (TVET).

The breakdown of the graduates by specialisation were: 447 – Early Childhood Education, 602 – Primary Education, 169 – Secondary Education, 251 – secondary vocational TVET, and 33 – Technical Teacher Education. Each teacher has undergone training to enable and equip themselves with the necessary tools needed to shape the minds of future generations.

With a total enrollment of 1,818, this year’s CPCE’s matriculation revealed that 86 per cent of the graduates were female, and 14 per cent were male.

Fiona Sharma, who was named as best graduating student, expressed her gratitude to CPCE, highlighting their role in her success and that of her peers. “We are forever grateful to the CPCE and the government as a whole and of course with the change in times that we are living, systems need to be put in place. So, I am glad that they are actually, putting more courses on board and having more persons come along on board to be edified and knowledge of course is power.”

Rhea Sandy, a teacher at the Beterverwagting Special Needs Centre, shared how her training has positively influenced her classroom practice. “Everything that I have learned for the past two years in college I have put it into practice in my classroom and I have seen a lot of difference.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, praised the graduates, highlighting their role in reducing class sizes and improving educational outcomes across the regions. “I am always excited when we can add value to any classroom, and you are our value that we are adding to each and every classroom that you will stand before from now until you leave the teaching profession and even thereafter for everybody who comes before you.” The education minister reported significant progress in teacher deployment aimed at reducing student-teacher ratios across the country resulting from newly trained teachers entering the system.

In Region One, 88 teachers will be added this year, reducing the primary-level student-teacher ratio from 46 to 1, down to 32 to 1, with further reductions expected next year. Notable progress was also seen at Santa Rosa Primary, where the number of trained teachers will nearly double, from 15 in 2022 to 28 in 2024. Region Two will see an increase of 461 teachers, bringing the ratio down from 16 to 1 to a more manageable 13 to 1 for its 6,192 primary school learners. In Region Nine, 83 new teachers will lower the student-teacher ratio from 33 to 1 to 22 to 1, benefiting over 5,900 primary students.

Additional gains have been made in Region Three, where 63 teachers are being added to nursery education, supporting 3,582 young learners. At Eccles Nursery in Region Four,, the teacher count will increase from 8 to 18, enhancing educational support for young learners in the area.

Meanwhile, CPCE has introduced new courses in music, literature, special education needs, and health education, within its technical and vocational programmes, while expanding physical education across coastal and soon-to-be hinterland centres. 

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2024/10/27/news/guyana/1502-educators-graduate-from-cyril-potter-college-of-education/

Though there are more than 1,000 trained teachers in Guyana’s hinterland regions, Education Minister Priya Manickchand says many more are needed to support learners there.

It is for this reason the Education Ministry is on an aggressive push to get all teachers trained or in training by 2025. The ministry is also devising ways of training more hinterland teachers without majorly disrupting children’s schooling, according to Manickchand.

However, she told Parliamentarians on Friday that training more teachers in the hinterland is a complicated venture. The ministry has to decide whether it will train teachers in batches or train them all at once.

“There has been such a dearth of training hinterland teachers…that if we were to give quotas about who can come out (for training on the coast), the place that needs the most trained teachers, which is the hinterland, would be the place that suffers the most because they have the most untrained teachers,” Manickchand said during the consideration of the 2024 budget estimates.

There are now 1,011 teachers in the hinterland regions (Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine) compared to the 30 trained teachers in those regions in 2019.

Training more teachers is a huge focus of the government.

A whopping $74 billion has been allocated directly to the Ministry of Education, while other sums for education delivery have gone to each of the 10 administrative regions.

Within that sum is a $3 billion allocation for training and other development purposes.

Source: https://newsroom.gy/2024/02/02/over-1000-hinterland-teachers-now-trained/

President Irfaan Ali and Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, on Tuesday, commissioned the newly refurbished Feeny Science Laboratory and Harford staff room at St Stanislaus College in Brickdam, Georgetown.

A Ministry of Education release stated yesterday that the ceremony was also attended by Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller; members of the diplomatic corps; private sector representatives, St Stanislaus alumni and current students.

In her remarks, Manickchand reiterated the government’s commitment to providing equal and equitable access to educational opportunities for all students.

Meanwhile President Ali in his keynote address emphasised the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in advancing Guyana’s economic and industrial growth. The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that the President underscored the need for a new generation of high school graduates who are proficient in STEM education and who will be able to respond to the coming challenges and opportunities of Guyana’s evolving economy. Ali, who is also an alumnus of St Stanislaus College, posited that the institution is an ideal place for students to begin mastering their STEM-focused skills.

“This endeavour is more than just bricks and mortar, more than just burners and lab equipment. It represents a commitment to the idea that education, especially in the fields of Science, Techno-logy, Engineering and Mathematics, is needed to boost our economy that is now on a transformative path of development”, he said. 

The head of state charged the school’s administration and teachers with ensuring the institution remains relevant to national development and innovation, by preparing students for a future aligned with Guyana’s economic trajectory.

He emphasised the government’s goal of aligning their curriculum with the country’s objectives – climate security, Artificial Intelligence integration, and renewable energy.

President Ali also floated the idea of an innovation fund to ignite creativity and critical thinking, vital skills when it comes to making a valuable contribute to economic growth.

“I would like to support an innovation fund for St Stanislaus College, and for us to create a new fund where we encourage innovation, and have the children of this institution coming up with innovative ideas. Ideas of entrepreneurship, product development, developing new scientific models through research and development.” 

According to the DPI, the new laboratories, which were named in honour of the late Father Herbert Feeny, a former Physics and Chemistry master, are equipped with the necessary facilities to stimulate the minds of the over 560 students attending the school.

The staff room was named after alumnus, Richard Harford.

The two projects were completed at a combined investment of approximately $51 million, funded in part by the government, and through donations from alumni and the families of the late Father Feeny and Harford.

President Ali reminisced on his student days and the way he felt stimulated to learn.

“When I think back to my days as a student, I remember a time when the world was brimming with possibilities, when every classroom felt like a window into the unknown, Science was not just a subject to be studied. The refurbished labs you appoint today promise to rekindle that spirit in our current students. They will offer this space for exploration, trial and error and for discovery, and environmental curiosity to flourish”, he said. 

In addition to emphasising the need for STEM education, the president announced a pledge of $500,000 annually to the Board of Governors of St Stanislaus College to establish a debating and impromptu speech award in honour of the late Lorraine Meertins who was regarded as an exceptional teacher, the DPI stated.

He opined that the creation of the Lorraine Meertins debating and impromptu speech award will stimulate a tradition in impromptu speech, debating, and poetry. 

“We don’t want this institution to focus only on academics. The strength of this institution is in creating rounded individuals, creating and understanding the talent of everyone who passes through here, building on that talent and giving them the best opportunity to deliver that talent to the population.” 

President Ali also spoke of the need to create an ecosystem at the school that will foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and the development of new products and technologies that inspire students to go beyond and above their traditional academic pursuits.

He also called on the school administrators to take the lead in areas such as environmental studies, climate science, and low-carbon development strategies and find ways to integrate them into the students’ education.

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2024/10/10/news/guyana/refurbished-science-lab-staff-room-unveiled-at-st-stanislaus/

For the first time, approximately 350 students will benefit from the construction of a new secondary school in Waramuri Village, Moruca sub-district, Region One.

A sod-turning ceremony held last Friday marked the beginning of construction for the new school. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and other officials attended the ceremony.

The new school, which is expected to be completed by March 2025, will be equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms, science laboratories, a library, and sports facilities. The contract has been awarded to Trevon David Construction Company.

Currently, several secondary schools are being constructed in the region, including Northwest Secondary, Kwebanna Secondary, and Hosororo Secondary. Construction will soon commence on the Matthew’s Ridge Secondary.

Minister Manickchand also inspected the progress of ongoing works on Northwest and Hosororo Secondary schools. At the Northwest Secondary, 85 per cent of the expansion and reconstruction works have already been completed.

Upon completion, over 600 students will be comfortably accommodated at the school. This two-storey building will feature 23 classrooms, three science laboratories, Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) laboratories, a sanitary block, and an accessible lift.

The school, which was destroyed by fire in September 2021, is expected to be completed by mid-July.

Meanwhile, the road and drainage networks, along with the prefabricated teachers’ living quarters, have been completed at Hosororo Secondary. When completed, Hosororo Secondary will accommodate 800 students.

This modern edifice will feature 40 classrooms, laboratories, a TVET centre, canteen, multi-purpose hall and cafeteria, sanitary block, fire prevention mechanisms, and an outdoor recreational facility.  It will also have a dormitory to house over 300 students and living quarters for approximately 30 teachers.

In July 2023, contracts totalling over $2 billion were signed to construct the school.

“The idea is to bring universal secondary education…That is why you see five secondary schools in one region in less than five years. We are really happy to be able to do that for the children of this region,” the minister highlighted during a recent televised update.

She added, “This school along with the reconstruction and expansion of Northwest Secondary will allow us to close all the primary tops in the Mabaruma sub-district.”

For context, primary tops are primary schools where secondary-aged students attend to receive their secondary education.

Moreover, the Minister stated that all dormitories are being rehabilitated at Northwest, Santa Rosa, Pakaraima, and across the country to meet the standards recommended by experts, ensuring that the requisite mechanisms are in place. [DPI]

Source: https://newsroom.gy/2024/06/18/sod-turned-for-new-secondary-school-at-waramuri-region-one/

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, yesterday commissioned the newly reconstructed Western Hogg Island Primary School.

According to a release from the ministry, the $54 million reconstruction project has transformed the facility into a modern environment, specifically designed to accommodate 50 pupils from Liberty, Hog Island, and neighbouring villages on the Essequibo River island. This development ensures that students from these communities now have access to education closer to home, fostering inclusivity and reducing the need for lengthy and often challenging commutes. It was pointed out that over the years, the previous structure had fallen into a state of disrepair, making it unsuitable for effective teaching and learning, prompting the Ministry of Education to prioritize the reconstruction of the building.

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2024/11/28/news/guyana/reconstructed-54m-western-hogg-island-primary-school-commissioned/

Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Tuesday unveiled a significant National Literacy Programme set to launch in January 2025.
Manickchand was addressing the launch of the National Mathematics Intervention Programme aimed at enhancing Guyana’s national math performance at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level.

The literacy programme will target children at the primary level.

“We believe being literate is the foundation of all the nation’s problems. Literate means read and understand, to comprehend,” Manickchand stated.

The literacy programme intends to ensure that every child can read by Grade Three, but there will also be a ‘grace period’ for up to Grade Four.

Manickchand added that the programme “is expensive, it is resource-heavy, it is very thought out and it is national. It will take into account the children who are entering nursery as well as the children who are already in secondary schools who cannot read.”

However, a challenge faced by the ministry, as Manickchand pointed out, is the monitoring and evaluating of programmes that the ministry puts out.

“We are building schools, we are training teachers, we are giving the resources, we are helping parents to outfit their children. We are supposed to be seeing more children being able to look after themselves when they exit your classrooms.

“And if we are not seeing that, then where is the weakness and how do we plug that gap? I believe the weakest thing in the Ministry of Education is and has always been M&E, monitoring and evaluating the beautiful programmes we put out,” Manickchand said.

As such, Manickchand believes that teachers need direct support in overcoming teaching difficulties.

“Teachers cannot be going out every day and deliberately teaching wrong. I believe teachers need help.”

Recently, libraries were established in primary schools across the country. This is part of a new initiative to promote literacy by getting more children to read.

Source: https://newsroom.gy/2024/09/11/massive-literacy-programme-starting-january-2025-education-minister/

The Government of Guyana is committed to fixing school dormitories across the country and Education Minister Priya Manickchand said verification efforts are ongoing to guarantee that those facilities are in tiptop shape.

Chartered architects, Deen + Partners developed a facilities standards manual which is being used to guide rehabilitation efforts at dorms, particularly those in the hinterland.

Now, however, Manickchand said her ministry wants to verify that any rehabilitation work done is in keeping with the standards outlined in the report.

“We’re now engaged in a process to ask the same Deen and Partners to go back to all the dorms to see if the ‘fix’ is as he recommended was done, particularly with an eye to safety and comfort for the children,” Manickchand said at a press conference this week.

The condition of dorms, particularly in the hinterland regions, came under the spotlight last year following the fire at the female dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary School in Region Eight. Twenty children, 19 girls and one five-year-old boy, died as a result of that tragedy.

A Commission of Inquiry into the tragedy found that there were faults and shortcomings at the dorm. Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali said the government would invest in getting the facilities in order so that children are safe and comfortable

Meanwhile, Manickchand also said repair works are also ongoing at all schools so that there are no issues with washrooms, the electricity supplies, roofs or otherwise.

Source: https://newsroom.gy/2024/05/16/education-ministry-verifying-dorms-safety-comfort/

Expansion works have commenced at the Linden Technical Institute as part of efforts to enhance education delivery in Region Ten.

As a means of gaining both employment and experience simultaneously, five students from the institute will be working on the project and will be paid a stipend.

They are: Esuan Fraser, Electrical Installation; Ksena McKinnon, General Construction; Walter Couchman, General Construction; Latrell Whinfield, General Construction; and Tevonn Layne, Electrical Installation.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Monday turned the sod for works to begin.

“This critical expansion initiative, valued at G$43,322,000, represents a significant investment in the future of technical and vocational education in Linden and its surrounding areas,” Manickchand said in a brief comment.

She also emphasized the significance of this project, stating, “This project will not only benefit the students of today but will also contribute to the long-term economic development of Linden and the surrounding areas.”

The project, is being executed by Phoenix Engineering Enterprise. With a projected duration of six months, the expansion will boost the institute’s capacity to serve 250 students, providing them with improved facilities and access to cutting-edge training in various technical fields.

The mobilization amount for the project stands at G$12,996,600, ensuring that construction progresses on schedule and that the necessary resources are in place for the timely completion of the extension.

The expansion project is expected to have a profound impact on the local community, with the institute now able to accommodate more students from the catchment areas of Linden and beyond. The improved infrastructure will also support the introduction of new technical courses, equipping students with the skills needed to thrive in the modern workforce.

Source: https://newsroom.gy/2024/08/13/sod-turned-for-43-3m-extension-of-linden-technical-institute-some-students-to-get-work-experience/

The Patentia Secondary School, West Bank Demerara has expanded with a new Industrial Technology block built for its students.

At the commissioning ceremony on Monday, it was highlighted that the students will soon enjoy additional facilities including a multipurpose sport facility. The new block was completed a year ago.

Lovern Carrell, Headteacher at the school, highlighted that the new building represents the Ministry of Education’s dedication to creating a better learning environment. With enhanced facilities and resources, students will now have the necessary tools to succeed both academically and personally.

“It is designed to offer all our students grades 7 – 11, the best possible education to make them the ideal citizens, as such this space creates more opportunities for them to explore, to learn and to grow,” the headteacher said.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, during her remarks, emphasised the importance of skilled labour in Guyana.

“In fact there are many academic papers now across the world talking about the value of skills training versus academic degrees and a lot of people are opting for skills training rather than degrees on paper because it is more lucrative and it allows them more flexibility to be productive for themselves and their families,” Manickchand explained.

She also mentioned plans for further expansions at the school, including a multipurpose sports facility.

“One of the things we want to do is to make sure no child is sitting in an open area with blackboards dividing,” Manickchand said as she further added plans to construct actual classrooms at the school.

The new block is accessible to all students at the school since industrial technology is a compulsory subject.

Source: https://newsroom.gy/2024/10/01/new-industrial-technology-block-commissioned-at-patentia-sec-school/

The Yarrowkabra Secondary School was officially commissioned on Thursday. The idea for the school was conceived to achieve universal secondary education in Guyana.

Completed in 2023 after construction began in 2020, the school was initially funded by an $826.7M contract signed with BK International under the previous administration, though this contract was later terminated by the current administration.

The school features eleven departments focusing on core areas such as entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEAM), and TVET. With a dedicated staff of 65 teachers, the school also offers programs in volunteerism, various sports, and foreign languages.

For a highly educated workforce, President Dr. Irfaan Ali believes it is crucial to introduce non-traditional subjects such as entrepreneurship and innovation in schools. While delivering the keynote address at the commissioning ceremony, the President emphasized the importance of adapting to rapid technological changes and a modern economy.

“By investing in such schools is investing in the intellectual capital of our nation,” President Ali said. He also commended the education ministry for their efforts to ensure that every child benefits from the same quality and delivery of education.

“We are here celebrating education, not the building alone because the infrastructure is just one component in delivering higher education,” the Head-of-State said. He added that a comfortable learning environment with trained teachers is also vital.

“We can have the best environment and the best facility but if we do not also invest in the human resources to help then we will have a mismatch,” Dr. Ali said. President Ali assured that his government will continue to invest in innovation and build facilities so that every child can access quality education.

“We firmly believe that universal access to secondary education should not be considered optional,” the President said. He explained that education should be a fundamental right, not a privilege, and should be extended to all.

The President opines that for students to be effectively engaged and thrive in a modern economy, graduating from secondary school is imperative. At the same time, nursery and primary institutions will also be enhanced to ensure a well-rounded society.

The government is also exploring additional ways to support professional parents, especially single parents, to ensure their children receive the necessary support in school. The need to send children far from home to access top-notch education will also be alleviated with the construction of 26 secondary schools across the country.

“Our vision is to create an environment where families can constantly expect quality education right in their regions,” the President said.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Priya Manickchand, in her remarks, stated that the ministry will soon bid for additional classrooms to accommodate more students. With the completion of the Yarrowkabra School, several primary tops along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway were closed.

“The only sure way we know to change your life, to make sure your children have a life better than yours, to make sure they are not living a life of want is to educate them,” Minister Manickchand said. She also emphasized that it is not just about building schools but ensuring that teachers are well-trained.

“We currently have 100 per cent of our teachers trained or in training,” Manickchand said. The ministry is now addressing transportation issues for students and has urged those responsible for the school to take good care of it to ensure its longevity for future generations.

Source: https://newsroom.gy/2024/09/05/president-ali-talks-up-innovation-in-education-at-yarrowkabra-school-commissioning/