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Govt. has lost a golden opportunity to develop our nation’s children – APNU’s Amna Ally
“If our education system is only focused on academic, exam-oriented people, then the government is losing the opportunity of preparing students to have rounded personalities. Indeed the government has lost that golden opportunity to develop our nation’s children to become good men and women of tomorrow, I urge you to rethink your strategies.”
APNU’s Education Shadow Minister Amna Ally
This assertion was made by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Education Shadow Minister Amna Ally, who challenged the administration to show value for the money they have been injecting into the Education Sector.
Speaking on Monday last during the budget debate, Ally sought to point out several areas within the sector that are in urgent need of attention.
“We have a shortage of competent lecturers at our training facilities and we need to solve that problem with increased training and increased remuneration. They cannot give their best because they are not properly remunerated. They will not spend quality time to deliver since they have to concentrate on other jobs in order to cope with the high cost of living in Guyana,” Ally lamented.
She opined that more focus should be paid in the early stages of a child’s education.
“Injection cannot be made at the secondary level, it has to be at the primary level, because we all know if you do not have a proper foundation when building a house, the entire house will collapse. We have to fix the bottom.”
Ally went on to point out to the National Assembly that given her background in the delivery of education, she has found that there are several methods of teaching reading in schools. She further questioned if these methods are being implemented countrywide.
“Are there any considered incentives for improved performance? What additional inputs are given to schools and teachers to address our literacy and numeracy? I urge the government to use some pilot schools in every region to start as a base with new methodologies. These are the nitty gritty that we have to look at if we want to improve literacy and numeracy.”
The APNU Member of Parliament also called on the Government side of the house to seriously consider improved salaries for teachers, as it would contribute to improvement to children’s performances.
“You may want to argue about the Union’s multi-year agreement. It is worth a try. I call for increased salary and improved working conditions and I am positive that there will be improved performance.”
The Opposition then lashed out about the “crumbling Technical Vocational programmes” which she said “will forever be dear to my heart”.
“The preparation for industries and the world of work is very important and our Government has been touting the developmental projects such as the Marriott and the expansion of the CJIA. I have to point out that it would appear that our education system is not geared to prepare anyone to work on those projects.”
To this end, Ally questioned the roles of schools, particularly industrial arts centres and technical institutes, as the Government chose to import skilled persons to work on their highly touted developmental projects.
“Are our technical institutes preparing anyone for the world of work or do Guyanese have to go to China, Brazil, or some far country to learn masonry or carpentry and how to fetch a bucket of stones. We hear of the thousands being trained…where are they? Why do we have to bring people into work on our developmental projects?”
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