–to offer ‘flexible and inclusive’ learning experience to all of CARICOM –President Ali
PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has revealed plans for the launch of the Guyana Digital School in January, which ground-breaking initiative is aimed at providing accessible education to students across Guyana and the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The digital platform will offer primary to secondary education, allowing students to register and attend classes remotely, ensuring a flexible and inclusive learning experience.
“It’s just like a normal school, but you can access it from anywhere, and the best teachers will be available for all the population,” Dr. Ali said during a recent interview.
Dr. Ali revealed that the project has already garnered significant support across the region.
“We had a demonstration with a number of heads in CARICOM when they were here, and it’s a concept that is fully embraced in the region,” he said.
In addition to offering primary and secondary education, the Guyana Digital School will integrate cutting-edge technology, interactive learning tools, and a curriculum designed to meet the needs of a modern, digital world. The project is expected to set a new standard for education in the Caribbean and beyond, empowering learners to learn, grow, and thrive in a globalised society.
Dr. Ali had first announced the establishment of the digital school back in May, where he had outlined a series of strategic investments being made to facilitate a ‘technology-driven’ education system in Guyana.
Since assuming office in 2020, the government has rolled out several initiatives to improve the delivery of education across the country; these include the establishment of ‘smart’ classrooms across a number of primary and secondary institutions.
‘Smart’ classrooms are equipped with an interactive, computerised, touch-screen whiteboard, and cameras which can be used to video the lesson by the teachers, and a monitor connected to the cameras.
Teachers of any subject can utilise the devices to make their classes more interactive and attractive to students. This technology is deemed very necessary as the world moves forward to more technologically-assisted methods of teaching.
The first ‘smart’ classroom was opened by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government in 2015 at the North Ruimveldt Secondary School, while the second was opened at Queen’s College in 2020.
In the country’s 2024 fiscal package, some $135.2 billion has been budgetted for the education sector, with huge sums being invested in the construction of new schools.
Simultaneously, investments are being made to ensure all teachers can be trained graduates.
Last year, President Ali had held consultations with several educators. During that engagement, the Minister of Education Priya Manickchand and Senior Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh were present and heard the concerns of the nation’s teachers.
Subsequently, in November 2023, the Head of State had announced increases in teachers’ salaries and other interventions amounting to a total of $1.9 billion.
Providing a scenario so persons could understand how the increases would apply, President Ali had said that a Graduate Senior Mistress/Head of Department will now have their current salaries adjusted upwards from $243,069 to $262,917, and with the inclusion of the revision to education allowances, this represents an overall 12 per cent increase when compared to the previous minimum salary paid to such persons.
In the case of a Graduate Senior Assistant Mistress working in the hinterland, the current minimum salary was adjusted upwards from $223,232 to $243,076, and with the inclusion of the revision to education allowances and Remote Areas Incentive (RAI), this will represent an overall 16 per cent increase, compared to the previous minimum salary paid to such persons.
Outside of salaries and allowances, all teachers who hold a substantive appointment as a Senior Master/Mistress or above, and are within three years of retirement and have not previously received a duty-free concession on a motorcar, are entitled to a duty-free concession for a motorcar of up to 1500cc.
Most recently, the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education inked an agreement for educators countrywide to receive a 10 per cent pay hike after months of negotiations.
