The National Science Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics Fair has returned this year with a ceremony held Monday to declared it open. The Fair ends on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
This year, the fair is being held at the Cyril Potter College of Education, Turkeyen, under the theme “Transforming Education through Innovation and STEAM.”
It has been five years since the last hosting of the event, two of which were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, who declared the fair open said that every day the consequences of COVID are experienced in the classroom such as the learning loss that we have not recovered from and antisocial behaviour displayed by some students who suffered from the lack of supervision during their formative years.
She said that the Education System responded by delivering education through distance means. This resulted in the printing of worksheets, and the production of television and radio instruction among other initiatives to deliver education in a way that had never been done. Minister Manickchand said that the period taught the Ministry that Guyana has all the resources needed to have a first-class education system.
Speaking on Universal Secondary Education, the Minister identified the many schools that are currently under construction and those that will begin soon across Guyana, not just on the Coast but also in the Hinterland regions to ensure access to education.
Meanwhile, Ms. Keisa Johnson-Richards, Curriculum Subject Specialist – Science at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) while giving an overview of the fair said that this year 177 projects are being presented for judging by schools from across the 11 Education Districts.
She said that this year’s fair is unique since it follows the STEAM Fairs held in the various Education Districts during March. She said that students at the nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary level will share their experiences and make oral presentations at their booths. They will also demonstrate the processes involved in the preparation of their projects and how STEAM was incorporated.
The fair is open to the public.
