With new policy, each student to do music, sports, languages, technical subjects & volunteering

A new policy from the Ministry of Education could see each student receiving a well-rounded secondary education that balances academic pursuits with extracurricular activities.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand said students will learn to play at least one musical instrument while participating in sports and volunteer activities.

Additionally, each student will learn at least one foreign language and undergo Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

This will be a policy from the Ministry of Education, she disclosed.

“We haven’t announced it but we have already begun the preparation for it over a year now,” Manickchand said on Friday at a ceremony for the announcement of the 2023 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results.

She added, “We are in the process of doing that and very shortly we are going to launch that all across the country.”

Some groundwork has already commenced.

Minister Manickchand said there have been assessments to determine what sports, for example, can be accommodated in schools. Where schools have spacing restrictions, the Education Ministry has to find nearby spaces or alternative arrangements.

Beyond the Minister’s comments, President Dr. Irfaan Ali recently announced that he wants the Education Ministry to explore making Spanish a compulsory subject in secondary schools across Guyana.

Dr. Ali said learning a foreign language will help to make students more marketable when they enter the world of work.I It is also a crucial undertaking given Guyana’s geographical position, he noted.

The Head of State also said publicly that technical skills are in great demand, given Guyana’s developmental trajectory. As such, he wants the Education Ministry of focus on providing opportunities for Guyanese students to immerse themselves in TVET.