Guyana striding to universal secondary education – Agri Minister

May 14, 2014 News

…as some sections of the world lag behind

The inability to access secondary level education was identified as one of the major hindrances that have over the years stymied people’s elevation to professional standing.
This assertion was made on Monday by Minister of Agriculture, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, even as he assured that such a situation in Guyana is swiftly being reversed.

Agriculture Minister,
Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

“We have just reached about 37 per cent of access; we have accelerated in the last decade, both of the ability and accessibility in our country, and we are seeing the results,” the Minister said.
He was at the time speaking at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)’s launch of Agricultural Science, at the level of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), held at Theatre Guild, Parade Street, Georgetown.
And even as moves are being made towards universal secondary education, Dr Ramsammy emphasised the need to ensure that there is 100 per cent accessibility to those areas of study that contribute not only to the development of individuals, but also towards meeting the needs of the country.
Since achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Number Two, which speaks to the attainment of universal primary education, the local Ministry of Education has committed itself to attaining universal secondary education. According to the Ministry, while secondary education is available in most regions of Guyana, no effort will be spared to ensure that this goal is achieved throughout the entire country.
The Ministry’s vision in this regard is to make good quality education accessible, available and affordable to all secondary school-aged Guyanese. As such, Government has constructed and rehabilitated a number of secondary schools across the country and upgraded facilities in many schools to include laboratories for science and technology. Further still, a number of dormitory facilities have been constructed and renovated in Regions One, Two, Seven, Eight and Nine to accommodate the growing number of students.
Moreover, Dr Ramsammy underscored that “social and economic prosperity are only possible if we develop the skills and the capacity for meeting those demands, not only in terms of financial resources, but in terms of human capital – the greatest investment that we can make in our people.”
In celebrating with CXC the launch of five new courses at CAPE – Agricultural Science, Tourism, Entrepreneurship, Performing Arts, and Physical Education and Sport – the Minister noted that Guyana is simultaneously celebrating its strides towards universal access to education.
“It is at this time therefore that I find it bewildering… I find it unacceptable, that we still have parts in the world where children still have a dream of secondary education but no possibility. I still find it outrageous that people have to fight for the rights to secondary education,” lamented Dr Ramsammy.
Moreover, it is his view that the whole of the Caribbean should be heartened about the state of education in the Region, even as he sympathised with the abducted girls in Nigeria who suffered their fate simply because they wanted to access an education.
“Our rejection must not just be the crime of abduction, but it is the kind of abduction that seeks to prevent education of young girls in the world. Every girl anywhere in this world, at anytime, deserves an education just like every boy,” said a passionate Ramsammy.
As such, he called for the dedication of the launching of the new CAPE subjects to all girls in the Region who, according to him, have a right to education and therefore must be able to take advantage of same.