I wrote this column long ago. I do not think I would want to change much, if any, of it now for it to be relevant – but I am anxious to learn if the Ministry of Education or educational experts can tell how things may have changed for the better.
The list is long in Guyana of problems needing solution and the list isn’t shortening. However, top problem in my personal list remains the state of education in the country. Schools are under equipped and good laboratories are lacking. We are too slow in implementing plans to provide computers in the classroom. Teachers remain underpaid and young people are not taking up teaching as a long-term profession. Private lessons are widely considered as a substitute for the class-room. Sport no longer holds an essential place in the educational system. Parents who can hardly afford it are digging deep into depleted pockets to supplement their children’s “free” education.
