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Guyana needs a Youth literacy Officer

Jun 07, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
“Continuous intelligence- not effort or strength- is the key to unlocking our potential” Education is the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through study and training. Guyana’s Education System is dying drastically and what we need are persons that will “listen and adhere” to suggestions made, not persons who will “ignore” the many cries of youths. Our Government has been sitting in office for approximately two (2) years and our International Literacy and Schooling Rate (ILS) is in a poor standard.
Let me enlighten your readers on what really is (ILS)-it is the percentage of people aged 13 and above who can, with understanding both read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Guyana stands as the twentieth (20th) country with the lowest literacy levels which nationwide percentage is 33.6%. Our country my dear people needs a Youth Literacy Officer or in the United States of America and the United Kingdom a (Youth Development Officer or a Page.
There is no greater calling than to help educate young people. I would like to apprise you of some important changes that will be coming to Guyana if I am allowed to hold the position mentioned above. I will be making these changes because I am convinced that most of the ideas that have dominated public education in Guyana have worked against teachers and our country.
There must be after-school clubs. Secondly, I am uninterested in whether English is our native language; my only interest in terms of language is that you leave school speaking and writing English as fluently as possible. And if you leave these schools, without excellent English Language skills, I will be remiss in my duty to ensure you that you will be prepared to successfully compete in the Guyana Trade Market.
Thirdly, because I regard learning as a sacred endeavour, everything in Guyana will reflect learning’s elevated status, this means, among other things that you and your teacher will dress accordingly, many persons in our society dress more formally for red-carpet events than for church or school; these people have their priorities backward.
Therefore, there will be a formal dress code at these schools. Fourth, NO OBSCENE LANGUAGE will be tolerated anywhere on the school’s property, if you can’t speak without using the “F-word”, you can’t speak. It is my intent that by the time you leave these schools, you will be among the few your age to instinctively distinguish between the elevated and the degraded, the holy and the obscene.
Fifth, and last, I am reorienting the schools toward academics and away from politics and propaganda. No more time will be devoted to scaring you about smoking and caffeine, or terrifying you about “sexual harassment” or “global warming”.
No more terms will be devoted to “condom wearing” and teaching you to regard sexual relations as only or primarily a health issue. There will be no attempt to convince you that you are a victim because you not white or not male, or not heterosexual or not Christian. I will have failed if any one of you graduates these schools and do not consider him or herself inordinately fortunate— to be alive and to be a Guyanese. Now you can all see that “I have a vision” Let us cooperate for Guyana.
O’shea Mingo

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