Dear Editor,
We know that education is transformative, and necessary for the development of any society. However, the impact of education on the lives of people with disabilities is even more profound. It enables them to be financially independent as adults.
When the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) approached the Ministry of Education to foster collaboration and support for its Remedial Education programme for adults with disabilities as a transition to our Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) programme, we were met with shared enthusiasm and a willing partner. Under the guidance of Mr. Ganesh Singh and with support from Mr. Keon Cheong, the remedial education programme commenced with a total of ten adults with physical, hearing, vision, and mild intellectual disabilities.
Of the first cohort of students, seven persons were promoted to the aforementioned Ministry-funded CSEC programme and are scheduled to sit the regional examination in May-June 2025. This initiative marks a second chance given to these persons with disabilities who never had the opportunity to complete their formal education.
With this remedial education programme, these persons are given the knowledge and skills to gain meaningful employment, pursue higher education, and access the many opportunities provided by the Government of Guyana.
We are certain of these long-term outcomes because our tracer report outlines the successes of the 80 persons who have graduated from the CSEC programme over the past ten years, with over 50% of them attaining tertiary level qualifications, and gaining either full-time or part-time employment.
When there is a shared vision for the empowerment of people with disabilities and a government recognizes the importance of collaboration and support, a country can only benefit from having educated and empowered citizens.
Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD)
