Education Month launched in Berbice

Sep 06, 2012 News

Professor Daizal Samad

By Leon Suseran
Education Month celebrations in Region 6 kicked off in the Ancient County yesterday at the Berbice High School in New Amsterdam. The celebrations this year are being held under the theme, “Transforming the nation through inclusive education” and the launching saw the attendance of dozens of educators, students and senior education officials.
Professor Daizal Samad of the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC) delivered a stirring address as the main speaker at the event and he expounded on the transformation referred to in the theme.
“Resounding words indeed. But what does it all mean to you and to me? Transforming this nation from what to what? From petty politics, insularity, isolation, racist sentiments, gender bias, narrowness, greed, moral turpitude, rape, breaking bottles on roads after I finish a beer, beating my wife to vent my frustrations, driving in the most irresponsible fashion, coming to work without any thought of work, if we show up at all? We shall transform our nation if and only if we cure these ills.”
“We can only transform the nation if we transform ourselves first. This nation will not be transformed if we take things from elsewhere and simply import it wholesale like pieces of machinery. A nation is not transformed with the buying of brains or computers or mechanical components.”
Inclusive education, he believes, involves every single child. “To me inclusive education has to do with including each and every child, each and every citizen into the warm bosom of Guyana.
It is everyone or no one. Inclusive education means that all the disabled will find a home in our system; that we shall educate our drivers on the road to be cautious, and not go on drunken sprees that may result in the slaughter of our children. It means that all are considered to partake of the supper table of this Bountiful Land.”
“Inclusive education means taking into our interest all schools, kindergartens, primary, secondary, CPCE, IDCE, FAPC, technical schools, private enterprise, the Chambers of Commerce, religious and social groups, public libraries, private schools, and the University of Guyana. I know that you can add to this list.
The problem is that we do not even know that there must be a list of everyone! And because we do not know that we are part of this inclusive education, we will continue to drive the way we do, beat our partners the way we do, conduct the affairs of law and order the way we do, care for our sick and elderly and handicapped the way we do, and it goes on.”
“Many people believe that UG is a failed enterprise because of money or a lack of money…or failed for any number of reasons. They may all be right, to some extent. But let me tell you that UG Turkeyen has failed because it knows not about inclusive education. It knows not in its heart the meaning of service to this Nation—in real and measurable terms.
Any institution that serves only itself, any individual or group that serves itself only is doomed to fail, to be forgotten, to be buried in the hot sands of time. This goes for all of us, for all our schools, for all our lives.
This is why Nelson Mandela will live for all time and for all people! This is why Mohandas Gandhi will live for all time and all people! And those of us that serve with nobility shall be as their children, walking on the road of righteousness and goodness in the name of God himself who smiles at each goodness that we do, even when we do not mean to do it,” Samad added emphatically.
Remarks were also made by Region 6 Education Officer, Mrs Shafiran Bhajan. Several activities have been planned for the celebrations in the region.

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