The Ministry of Education in Guyana, under the stewardship of Minister Priya Manickchand for thirteen years, presents a troubling picture of neglect and inefficiency, leading to a systemic disenfranchisement of thousands of students. The stark reality of abysmal dropout rates, which she denies, and a consistent pattern of underachievement across the nation paints a grim portrait of an education system mired in failure and mediocrity.
While the role of the ministry of education is undeniably challenging, given its vast scope and breadth of responsibilities, it is essential to hold its leadership accountable for the ministry’s abysmal outcomes. The yardsticks for success in education, though crude, are clear in their emphasis on exam results, literacy, numeracy, and the progression to tertiary education. By these measures, the Ministry of Education in Guyana has been found wanting, failing to meet the educational needs of its students both absolutely and in comparison with other Caribbean nations.
According to a recent Stabroek News editorial, the disparity in educational outcomes is stark, with hinterland students achieving a pass rate of only 37% in English and 18% in Maths at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) in 2023, while their counterparts in private schools scored significantly higher. The situation at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level is even more dire in Maths, with not a single Grade One pass recorded for hinterland or riverain schools and only 4% of students nationally earning a grade 1 in Maths, most from private schools and two “top schools”.
Though she has publicly denied this, the secondary school dropout rate stands at an alarming 50%, one of the highest in the region. The next time the good minister publicly denies the dropout rate, we must demand that she informs the nation what accounts for the difference in the number of students who sit for the NGSA exam vs the number of students who sit for the CSEC exam.
The ministry’s failure extends beyond student performance to the ridiculously low wages and poor working conditions afforded to the nation’s teachers. The government’s unwillingness to increase the wages of teachers while enriching themselves most obscenely is beyond the pale. It is in fact a national embarrassment.
Additionally, we must never forget the tragic incident in Mahdia, where despite her denials and haste to ‘pass the buck’, the Ministry of Education holds significant responsibility for the tragic deaths of 20 of our nation’s children. Recently, she was heard on a show espousing her great plans to upgrade dorms across the nation. Suddenly she boasts of upgrading dorms but where deficiencies in school infrastructure were highlighted but not addressed in Madhia, she absolves herself from any responsibility. Priya Manickchand is exceptional at ‘snowing’ the public but her performance underscores the ministry’s poor management and lack of accountability.
Minister Manickchand’s refusal to accept responsibility for these systemic failures, coupled with the recent punitive measures against striking teachers, reflects a ministry out of touch with the realities on the ground and indifferent to the plight of both educators and students.
It is time for a reckoning. The President and the government must take decisive action to overhaul the Ministry of Education, ensuring that it serves the needs of all Guyanese students and not just a privileged few. Our children deserve an education system that uplifts and empowers them, not one that perpetuates cycles of failure and disenfranchisement. The Minister of Education is an abject failure and she must go!
