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Stakeholder collaboration will ensure school nationals success
Phulander Khandai
Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Education, Phulander Khandai believes that broad-based stakeholder collaboration will ensure the success of the 2010 National Schools’ Track and Field, Cycling and Swimming Championships.
Khandai, who was speaking at the launch of the event at the National Stadium on Thursday, said that the media, corporate community, commercial enterprises and Central, and Local Organising Committees have a role to play in the success of event. “I think the ministry will continue with this effort and we must continue to encourage corporate Guyana to come on board. They should get their mileage and the commercial enterprises are also important because they must understand that this is an investment in our youth,” Khandai indicated.
The Permanent Secretary was representing Education Minister, Shaik Baksh at the forum that the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, Guyana Teachers’ Union (G.T.U) President, Colin Bynoe, Regional Chairman for Region Four, Clement Corlette among other major stakeholder representatives attended.
“The Ministry of Education is very proud to be associated with this project in collaboration with G.T.U. The extent to which it is successful would correlate with how much we put in,” Kandhai held, adding that the collaboration will ease some financial burdens.
“It is not a cheap venture; it cost us up to $50M a year with things like transportation, uniforms for the teams, meals, accommodation and things like that. The money is embedded in the National Budget. The ministry has a very tight oversight committee to look at expenditure,” the Permanent Secretary informed.
He said that the Ministry of Education’s Strategic Plan has a new thrust for the development of sport and extra curriculum activities. Kandhai revealed that they will transform Softball Ground on Carifesta Avenue to a training facility for student athletes.
“We will have it developed to the cutting edge so that our youths can be involved in extra curriculum activity to take them away from a lot of things. We will also be doing the same thing in West,” he noted, adding that it is time that systems are implemented to ensure that Guyana can compete with the best athletes in the Caribbean.
He said that people are investigating what is leading to the success of Jamaican athletes, and was of the view that Guyana should do the same and implement some of those systems, which also include proper eating and diet practices for athletes. “We have to find some way of beating these people. I share the optimism, but we have to begin to do something. I know that the Minister of Sport is pushing to get state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, and getting sports on the national agenda in a real meaningful way,” the Ministry of Education official continued.
Kandhai said that his ministry is trying with limited resources to support a similar vision in their Allied Arts Unit. He reiterated that it is only through that kind of support and collaboration that Guyana will be able to see tangible success from sport in schools.
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