“I don’t care if it is a mango tree or a benab, primary education is compulsory and every child must find a place in school,” President David Granger said on Friday, addressing hundreds of children and teachers gathered at the National Park for an ‘Education Rally.’
He also pledged support to ensure their needs are met and noted that parents can be fined and punished for not allowing their children to go to school.
The education system, according to the President allows for everyone to reach the highest level in society; it is the doorway to a better life and the reason why $31 billion from the annual budget was thus allocated.
Noting that some 15,000 students sit the Grade 6 Assessment, he said many of them stumble and fall resulting in two out of three failing most or all of the subject areas and as a result not being qualified to enter a secondary school. “We need to do something about it,” the President stressed. He further noted that many students who complete their secondary education are unable to find jobs and four out of five who complete university education migrate.
The President also lamented the fact that the some 4,000 students who drop out of school annually may not be able to read and write.
He urged the students present to be determined and not to give up in their quest to be educated.
“I don’t want to see young people in jail, in the Mazaruni University, or the New Opportunity Corps… I want to see young people graduating from colleges and universities, President Granger declared. He also affirmed that he will again next year release youths who are in jail for petty crimes. Granger has drawn flak from the Guyana Bar Association for his secretive release this year of over 40 youth doing time for petty crimes. It was an initiative the President undertook himself, seemingly without consultation. Those released have since joined the USAID Skills & Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) project.
The President also reflected on the hinterland of Guyana where he said many of the children attend school without any footwear. “If you go to some of those schools, at 3 pm everybody coming out with no shoes,” he stated.
Earlier, bands of jubilant students along with their teachers had marched from the Parade Ground to the National Park as part of the activity, which is usually held at the end of September to close off the celebration of Education Month.
Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine who was also present, was challenged by the President to ensure that all children are in school while he was also urged to ensure that the resources available by the government for the education sector be utilized to their full potential. “I care about every child getting in school by 8:00am and about every single child completing primary education,” the President said.
The President recalled the present he had requested for his birthday, a boat, which he donated to some students in the Pomeroon. Previously, students from that area were required to pay $5,000 per week to attend secondary school, he said.
In addition, other areas where transportation poses a challenge for students attending school, bicycles and boats will be supplied to ensure that there is no stumbling block to them attaining an education.
Breakfast will also be provided for children who live in poverty and cannot afford a breakfast, the President promised.
Further, he advised that there is a certain direction which education must take and urged that students be encouraged to pursue science and information technology. “We want to generate and produce… and to embrace modern science and technology.”
While education is the mother of good jobs, the mother of empowerment and the door to any career, the President said it is not just about learning to read and write but more importantly, learning to respect one’s self and others.
Since Guyanese are of different ethnicities, a vital lesson is to understand that we are all Guyanese and we need to respect each other, President Granger said.
Roopnaraine in his address also called for respect of each other’s culture and ethnicity, as he pointed to the need for a massive cultural paradigm shift amongst Guyanese.
Roopnaraine opined that the cultural diversity which separates some Guyanese can actually become Guyana’s greatest strength if the diversity is appreciated.
He also mentioned the importance of respecting the environment and passing on a legacy of education to the next generation.
Other persons at the rally included Chief Education Officer Olato Sam and Deputy Chief Education Officer Doodmattie Singh amongst others.
Education Month was observed in September under the theme ‘Quality Educational Leadership: Improving Schools from Within.’
