Culture minister Dr Frank Anthony told youth leaders at Camp Madewini that though opportunities are available for early school leavers, many do not access it so they need to be more proactive in reaching out to vulnerable kids before they drop out of the school system.
Anthony told the groups that such camps are being hosted to provide an opportunity to inform and train youths in ways that they may not have been exposed to in the school system. A Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said Anthony met with the leaders on Saturday. The minister asked the leaders to identify challenges that youth face, pointing out that “the first thing we have to look at is education.”
Anthony said in the Caribbean, 20 per cent of children attending secondary schools drop out and there are no programmes in schools that deal with this issue. Therefore, he said, “that is one of the categories of people that when we are having camps we have to pay attention to.”
The minister also pointed out that “not because they drop out of school opportunities are closed to them.”
He said his ministry, as well as the labour and education ministries have programmes in place to give early school leavers a second chance at education. One of these programmes is hosted at the Kuru Kuru Training College where persons are trained for 10 months in areas including carpentry, masonry, electrical wiring and mechanical engineering. He said the programme aims to give them a chance at accessing training that will make them employable. GINA said more than 500 persons apply to the College annually however accommodation is only available for 170.
According to GINA, the labour ministry conducts a training programme for about 2,000 persons, though only 500 access it. Anthony said persons who are not enrolled at Kuru Kuru will be referred to this programme. The culture ministry also operates the Sophia Training Centre and the Smythfield Training Centre. He called on youth leaders to help identify the vulnerable persons in their communities and inform them of the programmes. Anthony also urged the youth leaders to further their education at the University of Guyana, the Cyril Potter College of Education and at technical colleges and in the health sector.
The minister said too youth leaders should educate others about HIV/AIDS. “If we are able to educate them then we will provide them with the necessary information to make a choice.” Anthony also urged the youths to participate in Carifesta X.
The three-day workshop for camp leaders started on Friday. It falls under the ministry’s annual roster to train youths countrywide to become leaders. The ministry has planned more than 50 youth and 25 sport camps for the year. An estimated 6,000 to 7,000 youths attend camps during the July/August period.
