Georgetown newsletters

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Guyana Education Access Project
NCERD Building, Battery Road
Kingstown, Georgetown
Tel: 02 38145 Fax: 02 38146
email: geapg@sdnp.org.gy

Newsletter

February 1999

Pre-implementation Visit and Report

The GEAP project pre-implementation visit was carried out 8-16 December by two members of staff from CfBT Education Services: Allison Butcher (Senior Operations Manager based in the UK) and Helen O'Reilly (GEAP Project Manager). CFBT Education Services are the management consultants chosen by the Department for International Development (DFID) to implement this project with the Ministry of Education. Following this visit a report was drawn up, with the activities and outputs for the inception phase of the project, up to 31 March 1999.

Arrival of Regional Education Advisers

In early January the two GEAP Regional Education Advisers arrived from the UK - Ed Denham (Linden) and Paul Worrall (Corriverton). After a few days of orientation in Georgetown they went to Linden and Corriverton, and were given very warm welcomes.

Participatory Learning and Action

On 12 January a presentation made was made in Georgetown by four researchers from each area, feeding back information they had gained through Participatory Learning and Action activities carried out in their communities. Government representatives from the Ministries of Education and Finance and staff from the British High Commission were among the invitees.

Preparation of the Masterplan

A retreat has been planned, from 4-6 March, for a group to work on the development of the Master Plan for the project. Information gathered from community meetings and other research in Regions 6 and 10 will feed into this process. The document produced will spell out in detail the programme for the different activities and inputs involved and the outputs expected in all the various aspects of the project. Project staff, together with representatives from the Ministry of Education and Finance, will be involved in this part of the Planning process. The Project

Framework produced will be used as a working tool, to be revised and adapted as the project progresses.

Regional Activities

In both Linden and Corriverton there is an on-going process of community consultation.

The first community consultation meeting took place in Linden on 2 February. In Corriverton the first two meetings were held on 4 and 5 February. All three meetings were well attended and very productive, with valuable feedback and information. The next meetings are scheduled to take place in Corriverton on 20 and 21 February, and in Linden on 25 and 26 February and 1and 3 March.

All these activities are contributing to the project planning and implementation processes. In both areas there has been a very positive response.

The Regional Advisers have visited all the target schools, met with Headteachers and other members of staff and have started to collect a range of information. The project architect and engineers have also been to both areas, visited the schools and met with Headteachers and other stakeholders. Schematic designs will be presented at community meetings later this month. Ministry of Education accommodation is being prepared in Linden (in the Annex of the Regional Education Office) and in Corriverton at Benab (No 63 village) for use by the regional teams.

Min Ed Counterparts

At central level Mr. Calvin Benn has been appointed to work alongside the CfBT Project Manager. Mrs. Gloria Britton (Region 10) and Mr Bashir Khan (Region 6) have been appointed to work with the Regional Advisers.

VSOs

Five VSO teacher trainers (three in Corriverton and two in Linden) and a community development worker (Linden) are due to arrive in Guyana on 3 March. After a period of orientation in Georgetown they will travel to Corriverton and Linden on 18 March, ready to start work on the following Monday.

Co-ordination with other projects

Regular meetings are taking place in Georgetown between staff of SSRP, PEIP and GEAP, in order to ensure coordination between these major projects. GEAP is also liaising with CPCE, GUIDE and NCERD.

Guyana Education Access Project
NCERD Building, Battery Road
Kingstown, Georgetown
Tel: 02 38145 Fax: 02 38146
email: geapg@sdnp.org.gy

Newsletter

April 1999

Community consultations and visit by DFID

First of all, we would like to thank everyone who attended or was involved in organising the community consultation meetings. The feedback we received from you has helped us in our work in developing the project so far, and we look forward to receiving more feedback and ideas as GEAP progresses.

Thanks must also go to all those in the regional offices and the schools who helped to make Roger Cunningham and Rod Matthews' visit so successful in March. Roger and Rod work for DFID (the Department for International Development), which is funding GEAP. Roger and Rod particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to speak to students and hear their views.

Appointment of a community development facilitator (temporary)

The project wishes to appoint a community development facilitator in Corriverton for 4 months, to help support community development initiatives and promote the partnership between schools and the local community.

If you are interested in this post, and feel you have the relevant background and experience, please contact Paul Worrall in Corriverton (tel. 039 2339) or Bashir Khan in New Amsterdam (tel. 03 2594) for further details.

Baseline study and household income and expenditure survey

Three consultants will be in Guyana until the 24th of this month, carrying out a baseline study in Linden and Corriverton. The information they are gathering will help us to establish what the current situation is for students and teachers in schools in the project areas, so we are in a good position to monitor the impact of the project as it progresses. Some of the researchers trained by Dr. Janice Jackson are involved in this baseline study.

GEAP will also be carrying out a household income and expenditure survey in both of the project areas, which will provide us with further information to guide project activities.

Draft of the Master Plan

The first draft of this document has been produced, incorporating ideas from the community consultation meetings held in February and March and the planning retreat held in March. Once we receive feedback on this initial document from the Ministry of Education in Georgetown and DFID, the document will be revised and circulated more widely for discussion by the Departments of Education in Regions 6 and 10, headteachers, teachers, students, PTAs and other members of the community. The Master Plan includes schedules for the infrastructure work and details of training, workshops and other project activities.

VSOs

Five VSO teacher trainers and a community development facilitator arrived as anticipated in March, and started work in Linden and Corriverton on March 22nd. The teacher trainers will be based in schools until the end of the school year. The community development facilitator is based in the Regional Education Office in Linden. More VSOs are due to join the project in May and August.