Jagdeo: Best education, outcomes a priority

The government is working on developing digital education initiatives to ensure learners receive better tuition, according to Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

He made this statement while responding to allegations from the Opposition that the government has a $321 million education slush fund.

Speaking at a press briefing at Freedom House on Thursday, the Vice President clarified that the sum in question is allocated for mathematics and literacy intervention programmes. Additionally, he noted that a further $1 billion has been allocated for the One Guyana Digital School initiative.

The government has previously emphasised the need for such a project and is now advancing its implementation.

Dr Jagdeo explained that while digital education initiatives were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate home learning, they were not uniformly implemented due to limitations in Internet access and the availability of digital devices in many communities.

“So we were challenged. Since then, we have been working on expanding digital initiatives to ensure our children receive better tuition. We are now moving beyond simply using ICT (Information and Communication Technology) improvements to deliver elements of the curriculum,” he stated.

The Vice President added that the government is also exploring the possibility of implementing a full e-school model in the future. This would provide quality education to children, particularly those with physical and mental disabilities, without requiring them to leave their homes.

“Many of our schools do not cater to children with special needs, and it would be a major challenge to ensure every school does. Having an e-school model will give us the flexibility to address this issue,” he explained.

Additionally, Dr Jagdeo said the initiative could allow children to learn languages such as Swahili and Hindi, ensuring that every child benefits from the programme.

“We are actively considering it. If we are promising world-class education, we must deliver on that promise,” he stated.

The government currently spends over $800,000 per child annually in public schools, while private school tuition costs approximately $350,000 per year. The digital school initiative will provide parents with additional options.

In addition, the government is considering introducing a voucher system, allowing parents to choose whether to send their children to a school of their preference.

“We are spending twice as much per child in public schools compared to private schools. Since our ultimate goal is to provide the best education and achieve the best outcomes, we must explore all possible options,” Dr Jagdeo stated.