Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 20, 2014 News
Head of State President Donald Ramotar yesterday recited almost an entire verse of The Mighty Sparrow’s song
‘Education is Essential’ as he delivered the feature address at a Ministry of Education rally to continue the celebration of Education Month.
In fact, the President’s entire speech was one that emphasised the importance of education to a nation’s development.
“That is what we have to prepare you for,” said the President to a gathering of mainly pupils and students who crowded the stands of the National Park which was the venue of the rally. “Consciously or unconsciously Sparrow was seeing that education is not only a nice thing to have so that you can read or write but it was vital for social and economic development….” asserted President Ramotar.
And it was for this very reason, the President said, that his Government has been investing heavily in people. “We believe firmly that the most important factor for our development, the most important factor in securing our future is not only the natural resources that we have but the most important factor is our people,” stressed the President.
Moreover, he disclosed that over the last two decades Government has been able to change how the budget is constructed and how money is expended.
From expending eight per cent on the social sector two decades ago, Government today directs some 30 per cent of its budget to this area. “In that body of social expenditure, that policy was deliberate because that is the way that we can find to distribute income to all our people regardless of their economic circumstances, and the biggest amount of that social sector budget goes to education,” pointed out the President.
According to him, while education is entrusted with the greater portion of the national budget, the second most endowed sector is that of health since “education and health complements and reinforces each other.”
He even went on to voice his conviction that an educated person is unlikely to embrace dangerous habits such as smoking, drinking and drug abuse, while a healthy person is one who is likely to learn more and faster.
And according to Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, her Ministry has in place a plethora of very workable and implementable strategies to make sure those children who attend school are competent in literacy. This, she noted, is likely to help the Ministry in its quest to have children literate by the time they reach the level of Grade Four. “Today my friends, we promise you with all our hearts that we will work hard in the Government; we will work hard in the Ministry of Education to realise this promise that all our children will be literate by Grade Four before too long,” assured the Minister as she underscored that the theme of Education Month should not be taken too lightly.
September is designated Education Month and is being celebrated under the theme ‘Literate by Grade Four through home, school and community involvement.’ In fact, according to the Minister, “anything to be done to develop our young minds has to be done in partnership…we cannot do it alone in the home, we cannot do it alone at school, we cannot do it alone in the churches, temples and mosques…” According to the Minister, working together will realise a partnership that will see the nation’s children
being the best that they can be even as she noted that “that is our goal…that is our aim.”
“We want our parents to do their roles; play their parts, make sure that your children are attending school; make sure that they are doing extra work at home; make sure you (parents) are attending the PTA meetings…we want our teachers to teach consciously and teach with a view to getting quality output,” added the Education Minister.
And according to Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, “we all stand to benefit from the progress made in the education system.”
He therefore noted that education is not just a priority but rather can be deemed “the highest priority for the nation,” as it is the primary vehicle for the transformation and advancement of the nation.
Yesterday’s rally which featured dramatic pieces was preceded by a march that started at the Middle Street, Georgetown, Parade Ground, headed east, then north along Camp Street, east along Lamaha Street, north along Albert Street and into the National Park. The march was led by the Minister of Education, several of her senior officers and many students, teachers and other education stakeholders, some of whom displayed placards and banners that highlighted the importance of education, participated.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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