A new library was commissioned at Nappi Primary School, Region Nine, last Saturday. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, inaugurated the facility during her visit to the village.
The new library is a vital addition to the educational resources available to the students and teachers of Nappi Primary. It boasts an extensive collection of books tailored to various age groups and interests, creating an inclusive space that promotes learning and creativity. The facility is equipped with reading nooks, group study areas, and storytelling corners, providing an ideal environment for students to explore the joy of reading.
The minister encouraged residents to embrace the opportunities the library offers. Students welcomed the new facility, while exploring its offerings and expressing excitement about the possibilities it brings. The teachers also highlighted the importance of the library, noting how it will enhance classroom learning and support student success.
This library forms part of the Ministry of Education’s broader Libraries in Primary Schools Initiative, which seeks to expand access to educational resources across Guyana, particularly in hinterland regions.
Meanwhile, Guyana continues to lag behind its Latin American and Caribbean counterparts on education outcomes. According to the recent World Bank, using a Human Capital Index measurement, a child born in Guyana today will only be 50 percent as productive when she grows up as she could be if she enjoyed complete education and full health.
This is lower than the average for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region and upper middle-income countries. The low human capital score is in part driven by low educational and health outcomes.
The Bank said although the average Guyanese student is expected to complete 12.2 years of schooling, this is equivalent to only 6.8 years of learning when expressed in terms of Learning-Adjusted Years of Schooling (LAYS).
