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.