An inquiry into the state of public education has been given approval by Cabinet to ascertain the efficacy of the delivery of education to the nation’s children.
At Cabinet’s post press briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, disclosed that Cabinet has heard of and approved the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to conduct the investigation.
This undertaking is designed to be a strategic move by Government, as according to Harmon, “you would recall that in the Minister of Finance’s budget presentation he alluded to the possibility that we are going to be looking carefully at the delivery of public education…”
Moreover, the COI will be expected to examine “the way in which our children are actually educated and whether the education they are receiving is really preparing them for a future in Guyana.”
Part of the mandate of the Commission, Harmon disclosed, is to give attention to the state of the public education with a view of providing strategic guidelines for the enhancement of education delivery.
The Commission, the Minister said, will consist of a chairperson, two vice chairpersons, and will include persons from the nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary levels. It is expected to also incorporate representation from the Teaching Service Commission, the Guyana Teachers’ Union, the political opposition, the Private Sector Commission, religious bodies, youth organisations and non-government organisations, among others.
Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine last month revealed that the COI would be tasked with investigating exactly what obtains in the school system, by conducting hearings across the country, in order to provide a report outlining recommendations for the enhancement of education delivery. Based on the disclosure of the Education Minister, the work of the COI has already commenced.
Despite moves by a cadre of experts to provide reports of the system, the Minister had yet stressed the need for a COI as, according to him, he was not quite satisfied with the lack of reports that layout implementable action plans.
Last month, too, the Minister disclosed plans for the conducting of audits at schools across the country. The audits were described as “a matter of importance,” by the Minister who revealed that audit teams will be conducting environmental audits of each school.
“I need to know which schools need infrastructural work. I need to know about everything that is lacking in our school system,” the Minister asserted as he pointed out that the audits are critical to the implementation of strong, evidence-based national policies.
It is the vision of the Minister to mobilise political parties over the next five years to work together to craft strategies for the education sector with a view of advancing the interest of the people.
“Education is not something we need to fight over. A solid education system benefits everyone. Education is the foundation of what we do and what we will do,” he stated.
He disclosed that he has already been able to draw on relationships established with his predecessor, Priya Manickchand, and other ministers of the previous government.
And it is the hope of Minister Roopnaraine that the Guyana Teachers’ Union will be among his primary supporters in the sector.