news from 2003 news from 2003The fifth GEAP Education Access Fund Presentation Ceremony was held today. Monies from it were awarded to community groups from Regions 6 and 10 in order for them to develop local education projects. The groups and projects receiving money were:
Region 6
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Region 10
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Thousands of pieces of new furniture, worth approximately G$50,000,000, have been delivered to Christianburg Wismar and New Linden Foundation in Region 10 and Skeldon High in Region 6. including chairs, tables and stools
Deliveries of equipment in the areas of Industrial Technology and Science have continued apace. All equipment orders are expected to be completed by September 2003 and will have the approximate value of G$8,000,000 (this does not include equipment and books supplied previously by GEAP).
Documents are this month being sent to all schools outlining the basic course structure and assessment methodology for the new Basic Competency Certificate Programme / Guyana Technical Education Examination (BCCP/GTEE). This will facilitate consultation and assessment by target groups and all stakeholders across Guyana.
Following the opening of the new school in 1999 and a new IT lab in 2000, the new Industrial Arts block opened today at Tagore Memorial Secondary School in Region 6.
Six people from the Ministry of Education, together with Steve Cooke from GEAP, are currently in Jamaica looking at the country's initiatives with regards to Technical Vocation Education within the secondary system. The group will be collecting data, information and resources for use within the Guyanese Education system, in support of the Basic Competency Certificate Programme (BCCP), due to be introduced in 2004.
Names of those visiting Jamaica are as below:
| Jerry Simpson (GTI) | SEO2 (Technical Education) |
| Edward O'D Williams (GTI) | SAO (Agriculture) |
| Ingrid Barker (NCERD) | Curriculum Development Officer |
| Sybil Blackman (NCERD) | Test Development Officer |
| Paula Montfort (CPCE) | Home Economics / Visual Arts |
| Leslyn Edward-Charles (Region 5) | DEO ag. (Secondary) |
Today, the keys for the new Linden Foundation School at Amelia's Ward were handed over to the Ms R Spencer, Regional Education Officer for Region 10, by the building contractor Mr Nabi.
As a follow-up to the "Productive Parents-Productive Children" workshop held in March 2002 the same parents were invited to participate in today's workshop. Facilitated by Cherlene Baxter-Dennis, the National Work-Study Coordinator, and Lorna MacPherson, participants reflected on their own progress since last year.
On the 3rd day parents and their children were invited to attend separate sessions to identify issues and aspirations, only afterwards joining together to share ideas and experiences.
Parents from this workshop are now keen to organise similar sessions for other groups, including a parenting workshop targetted towards fathers in the community.
Richard Burkett, Chief Accountant, and Alison Butcher, Senior Programme Manager, of CfBT today flew in to Guyana to observe several GEAP activities in both regions. CfBT is the managing agent for GEAP and is based in the UK.
A review team, which consisted of DIfID and MOE personnel, visited the two GEAP project areas. They met with a number of stakeholders, visited some of the community groups funded by the Education Access Fund and also visited the sites of the new school and those with additions being made to them.
The Linden community development department of GEAP recently held a two-day community conference on sustaining and strengthening community links.
Representatives of community groups throughout the Linden community were invited and GEAP community facilitators Rawle Craig and Yvonne Hemsley facilitated the conference. The main aim of the conference was to ensure strong sustainable community links after the project comes to an end in December 2003.
In both regions the wait is almost over for the completion of three major school building projects, all designed to provide an improved learning environment for all of the students who will be attending. In Region 6, work is progressing well for the extension work on Skeldon High and Skeldon Line Path.
In Linden the new secondary school being built in Amelia's Ward will be handed over to Regional Administration in April of this year; orientation of students will begin on the 7th April and they will be moving in to their new school in the new term. The furniture will be moved in during the Easter holidays and books and equipment, which are already bought, will be moved in as soon as possible in the new term.
The Information Technology Laboratories for all schools will installed during May 2003.
GEAP, a five year project, today entered its final year. However, rather than slow down activities, project staff continue to work hard to meet the ever-closer deadlines!
One of the priorities for this final year is the completion of much infrastructure work in Linden and Skeldon. New Linden Foundation is due to open soon, with Skeldon High and Skeldon Line Path not far behind.
Another major priority is the recording of the lessons learnt during the project lifetime. GEAP hopes to be able to present these in an easily accessible manner so that the Ministry of Education (and others) can learn from the project and use its ideas to help other improve other schools in Guyana.