Study finds lower school attendance by students in interior regions

Students residing in Guyana’s rural areas have a lower attendance rate than those in other regions, according to the findings of an Out-of-School Children Survey (OOSC) that was conducted by the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

A press statement issued by the Ministry of Indi-genous Peoples’ Affairs said the findings were shared on Monday during a one-day seminar conducted at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) by a national consultant and representative of UNICEF in the presence of Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock, Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, social workers, teachers, regional representatives and other key stakeholders.

The statement said the OOSC initiative is geared at analysing information gathered and scrutinising factors that lead to exclusion from schooling and the existing policies that can significantly reduce the national out-of-school rate.