Minister of Education Priya Manickchand was recently conferred with the title of Honourary Fellow of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) in recognition of her outstanding service to the advancement of quality education and social justice which has made a positive difference in the lives of her fellow Guyanese.
The title was conferred on September 14, in Calgary, Canada.
According to a Ministry of Education press release, Manickchand’s servant leadership, boldness in tackling difficult issues, and results-oriented, solutions-focused approach came in for high commendation and were noted to be of significant relevance and importance in the delivery of quality education generally and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In all her roles, the Honourable Minister has given practical expression to her love of country, her spirit of service and her alma mater Queen’s College motto Fideles Ubique Utiles (or Faithful and Useful Everywhere),” COL was quoted as saying.
The release noted that the award of Honourary Fellowships was instituted by the Commonwealth of Learning in 1999 and is intended to honour carefully selected individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the growth and development of technology-mediated learning in their own country, and internationally, and to the advancement of education in the Commonwealth generally.
The award was conferred at the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning, held in partnership with Athabasca University – Canada’s online university from September 14 to 16 under the theme “Innovations for Educational Resilience.”
The release said the COL has credited the minister’s countrywide consultations for her success in achieving goals and milestones as it evidences her respect for diverse perspectives and her conviction that everyone counts.
It further noted that under Manickchand’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, Guyana saw a steadfast return to relative normalcy in the education sector, has seen the expansion of the country’s only teacher training college, the expansion of the Guyana Learning Channel, the establishment of a radio station dedicated to education, the provision of textbooks to all primary school children, expanded TVET offerings, the establishment of GROW a second chance programme for those who did not attain secondary exit qualifications, new curricula and sensible practical responses to COVID 19 closures including the consolidating of relevant curricula, the preparation of curriculum-aligned, teacher-crafted worksheets for each topic from grades 1 to 9 and a commitment to delivering universal secondary education.
The release added that it was Manickchand’s leadership that saw Guyana enter into a partnership with the Commonwealth of Learning and Coursera, which in less than six months had realised more than 43, 305 certificates issued to 9,473 Guyanese making Guyana a leading country as it related to registrants and graduates.
She also launched nationally the ProFuturo programme where teachers are trained in the usage of ICT, which became even more necessary during the pandemic.
More than 50% of the country’s teachers have enrolled and begun the training.