Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698070293780.pdf (Guyana)
GUYANA STATE PAPER ON NATIONAL SERVICE FOR THE CO-OPERATIVE REPUBLIC OF GUYANA by the PRIME MINISTER Thunday, 20th December, 1973 GUYANA SESSIONAL PAPER NO.

3/1973 THIRD PARLIAMENT OF GUYANA UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF GUYANA FI AST SESSION 1973 STATE PAPER DN NATIONAL SERVICE FOR THE CO-OPERATIVE REPUBLIC OF GUYANA by the Prime Minister The Hon.

L.F.S.

Burnham, O.E., S.C., M.P.

Presented to the National Assembly on Thursday, 20th December, 1973.
1 INTRODUCTION A nation's human and natural resources are its greatest and most important assets.

In this context Guyana had the good fortune; to find itself well endowed when it became`Independent on May 26, 1966.
But this inheritance, though rich, had arrived through the processes of colonialism, ill-balanced and unequally developed, and far too unintegrated to support in every respect a viable nation or to sustain the rapid growth which it needed to make in all directions in order to realise for each member of society, the full fruits of Independence and guarantee for itself an honourable place in the affairs of nations.
The immediate need after Independence was to attend to the general character of the economy, to gain true possession for Guyana of her natural resources, and to ensure tt)at all major enterprises served the national interest.

To these objectives Government has since Independence been bending the greater part of its energies, but without ever losing sight of the hardly less pressing need to rid the structure of society of the irrelevant shape imposed on it by colonialism.
It is to this latter task that Government must now give greater attention.

The primary aim, which will hardly be in disagreemei.z, should be to create a _society which is recognisably Guyanese in character.

If the society as a whole is to have that character, the character must also adhere to its individual components.

One of the most distinctive features of our society is the variety of racial strains which compose it.
Most people happily understand and acknowledge that the accident of ethnic origin is not inconsistent with full consciousness of being Guyanese first and foremost.

It seems to be the clear duty of leaders of society to encourage this awareness and to create a climate in which differences of race serve to unite us into a whole and not divide us into fragments.
Racial divisiveness, like differences between social and economic classes, might have been useful to a colonial society geared to satisfy the needs of an alien plantocracy.

It has no relevance to the egalitarian ethos which the nation both accepts and wishes to foster.

Another social legacy of colonialism is the want of the true spirit of self-reliance in many quarters.
The nation cannot advance unless, at the level of the individual, Guyanese acquire the skills that are necessary to run a modern state effectively; unless they believe that they are capable of doing so; unless they recognise that it should be unnecessary to have automatic recourse to external assistance.
3 unless, at the level of the State, Nor can there be any advance produce enough to satisfy the basic requirements itself decide on its trade and other !XJlicies; basis and direction of its social and economic devekJpment, particular, Guyanese cCV1trol and are directed objectives.
ensure that technological changes within the society are to fulfil valid social and economic Guyana can of its people; unless it can determine the and can, in unless it can itself under philosop hy requires that all Guyanese should be Our co-operative socialist given equal opportunities, as to ensure that this is so.

In particular, not by a small g-oup of individuals on behalf of the people for the good of all.
Individual general involved, making of decisions responsibility needs to be heightened as they should be, in the formulation those policies.

and that the general system should be so designed !X)Wer should be wielded, for their own limited purposes, but by or awareness are to be and in the if all Guyanese to implement of national policies economic of this The process of awakening of the education restructuring dimension to the latter, the society has already begun with the system.
It is now proposed to add a new the &..tablishment Service.

of National through The formal education system as it is at the moment, cannot encompass those who have, over the last years, left and are still enter a society at make the maximum contribution National a level where changing Service will be set up· goals have made them unable to to their own and the nation's progress.
leaving the system to (i) to ensure that all Guyanese within the formal training made aware of the new values of an Independent understand themselves; the relationship system are society between the new society and and (ii ) to provide in appropriate the development and corrective designed to produce a colonial of the results of skills to our developme of an education man; cases additional relevant nt programme system formerly training, especially in (iii) both by itself and through to put emphasis for the opportunity on the practical for on·the-job approach learning; its influence on existing in training institutions, and provide (iv)to accelerate Service centres.
itself the process of additional training, through National and also through existing instituti ons and new These objectives Guyana is virgin while the rapidly and provided are dramatically hinterland growing with all the services population lying untapped and unused on the narrow coastal belt has to be fed community.

of an organised relevant to the fact that more than half of with untold resources I Resulting from this imbalance in development are problems of some and severity.
profitably variety energies knowledge and experience larids available National Service and productively, equipping for opening up, developing them both and living with the on the rich in the hinterland.

will prepare citizens to utilise their The Service will mobilise and motivate Clothe and House" the people and will develop attitudes which go with and into nation building.
support for the drive to "Feed, the necessary skills and It will alert citizens to the need Plans of the nation Development direction achieve the national goals.

of these plans in order to sustain the desire to have a working and to understand knowledge of the the philosoph y and to work together to It will heighten the pride which should be so natural in making his contribution to to every Guyanese to agencies it will seek to transform the common weal.
With the geared for individuals b_e happily involved help of existing dependen cy into self· reliant and productive nationals.

National for satisfactory Service will encourage and satisfying developm ent.

the physical and mental discipline necessary Guyana is oommitted to the development within the possible time; hence the need to ensure cohesion and unity as of all its resources shortest between the various ethnic, religious, social and economic groups.
National Service will provide an opportunity for all people, from whatever together in work and sport.

Its aim will be to produce a truly back.ground they may come, to get to know each other in the oourse of training produi::tive needed to contribute revolution above salf.
with both the skills social, upon · a citizen equipped to the been embarked citizen positively that has already economic, Guyanese cultural who places nation and attitudes and political Guyanese in National Service The National Service will comprise a series o f units catering 1':ir the different categories of pe9ple in Guyana:· (i) Guyanese within the education system; (ii) Guyanese who appropriate to employed; have had all the available and aptitude their ability and who are formal training (iii) Guyanese as at (ii) but who are unemployed; 5 (iv) Guyanese who have not been exposed to as much formal to their ability and education as was available and appropriate aptitude, and who are employed; (v) Guyanese as at (iv) who are unemployed; (vi) Guyanese as at (iv) and (v) who would like to go on to a university or other institution of further training; (vii) Guyanese who have completed university and wish to go to university; entrance requirements (viii) Guyanese who are in prison or otherwise in detention in accordance with the law.
The formal education system is being geared to meet national objectives so far as school and similar institutions are National within school hours.

concerned.

of the revised the Service.

situations holidays.

Therefore, Service will serve particularly curriculum lt will, in addition, of work and leisure, which are immediately relevant provide opportunities particularly for further during weekends and long learning in to emphasise those aspects to the objectives of In the case.
however, of those persons who have already left these or who have never completed institutions are now on the labour market, National and values.
programme of retraining in skills a course of study within them, but Service will need to provide a g programme for all Guyanese students aim at providing over a period of time an and for as many trainin Service will therefore National intensive Guyanese of working age as the logistics addition, employed, maximum in an independent Co-operative have neither the skills training will be provided for those Guyanese nor the orientatio who, whether or not n to function at their of the scheme make possible.
In Republic.

Service must be able to provide appropriate of National special emphasis.

Service, it is clear that some Agriculture, for example, economy, must be the subject of National attention.

must be given the objectives In order to achieve areas of training which is at the base of our national particular experience conditions of this understanding our policies · social, international include:.

in actual farming, designed nature and to provide healthy levels.
The syllabus to achieve of the real life situations in regions including necessary the discipline under the hinterland, for a successful thrust widening of perspective exercise, and tion of that affect the implementa and economic and political .
at both national for National Service would accordingly (i) Training in Co-operativism; (ii) Agricultural Training · theoretical and practical; (iii)Industrial Skill Training; (iv) Craft Training; (v) Cultural Training; (vi)Treining to understand the values of the Co-0perative Republic; (vii)Pioneer Training; (viii)Para-military Training and Callisthenics.

All of this will be taught with a full understanding our people to acquire functional life.
literacy and to make co-0perativism a way of of the need to encourage Care will be taken to ensure that within every unit in each corps members are grouped in such a way that they can derive with each other.

The programme of training needs of each group.


maximum benefit by wor1c:ing will be closely related to the With a view to convenience in implementation, National to a p hased prowamme beginning Service will be with two categories introduced according of Guyanese:- (ii Those who are at present system (including training those in reform schools); a nd within the formal education and (ii) Guyanese between the ages of fourteen and twenty-five who are at present unemployed.
The operation of the Service will be programmed to mesh with tha Development Prog-amme and will, as a result, the manpower needs of the economy as identified Ministries concerned, Development, and Agriculture.
namely, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, Ministry and Ministry of National of Economic Development be guided by the assessment of and notified by the Organisation and Administration of National Service the The administration of the National Service will be the direct or such other Minister responsibility to by him but, subject of the Prime Minister designated thls, the Servica Will operate within its own independent b.Y legislation.
't the Pr;m, M;n;rn,, a s Ola;,man and oompr;s;ng othe, M;n;stm and Service Board incorporated by Act of Parliament There will be a National framework provided 1 nominated persons for the Service and give policy directions which Will function under the direction to a National Service Secretariat of a Director-General.

by him.
by him.

The Board wilt formulate policy at national level of National The Director-General Board and will be the principal Prime Minister the National Director-General, in respect of National Service Service executive Service will be uniformed Secretariat, be a member of the and chief adviser to the by the matters.

He will be assisted the members of which, including members of the National Service.

will himself officer Subject Secretariat National for the compilation the National Service, Service.
to the general will discharge policy direction all the day-to-day of the National administrative Service Board, the of the functions It will also be responsible both administrative and financial.

and analyses planning of data, statistics and relevant to The National Service will be divided and serviced all the various field under the will The first Division units and will be administered by a National by the Secretariat.
into two Divisions will have the status of Assistant He will be in charge of the following Director-General corps within the Director-General comprise Service O fficer.

Th is officer of the National Service:- National Service.

1,1 (bl 1,1 Id) 1,1 The Young Brigade; The National Cadet Corps; The New Opportunity The Pioneer Corps; Service Corps.

The Special Corps; Each corps will comprise several field units.
will be serviced by the Secretariat and will also be Service Officer of the status of Assistant The second Division h eaded by a National Director-General inter alia, for planning recruitment that the National of new agencies the availabilit men.

of the National Service.

the logistics of the National This Division Service will be responsible, Operation, It will also ensure for and for the preparation Service complements of settlement the activitie schemes.
set up to advance y of all neeessary the development inputs into the education of National Service s of existing thrust.

It will also ensure agencies and 1 Division Within Division 1 The corps will their activities.

there Will be five corps, be;- separat e but complementary in (a) The Young Brigade Children schools.
between the ages of eight and fourteen These children will go through the formal school sy�em, within pri�ry i 8 training and as Service will ensure that the agricultural received at school is fully understood to day-to-day life, and will complement the school at weekends and during the long but National co-operative being relevant experience by practical exercises holidays in a series of in-the-field activities.
National Service, at this level, will be voluntary and will emphasise the values of the schools system • Unity, Self-determina tion, Collective Economics, Purpose, Creativity efficiency Work and Responsibility, and productivity, Co-operative training and Faith, as well as those of discipline, (bl The National Cadat Corps at to formal schooling, (secondary, technical, training Here, again, National institutions will, in addition agricultural) in basically the same areas as the Young Brigade Young people between the ages of twelve and eighteen post-primary educational apprenticeship, receive but at a higher level.
integrated subject of special emphasis National Cadet Corps will be a voluntary of the Corps will be attached of the experiences with members of the New Opportunity and desirable, organisation.

Each unit of learning.

Some Cadet Corps will be shared Service training will be but it will be the Cadet Corps.

The into the general schools curriculum, will be inter-changed.
within the National to an institution of the National training Corps and, where possible (cl The New Opportunity Corps and special correctional Service training.
in reform schools will, in Guyanese up to the age of sixteen addition to their formal schooling training, receive appropriate National determined attempt will be made to rehabilitate of this Corps, to emphasise to inculcate in them an understanding society, to develop in them a love for their country and the full appreciation of the need for productivity each member of society.

integral part of the training by Service training will be an at reform school.
young members and of the values of our National and discipline their worth and value as citizens, and contribution A (di The Pioneer Corps branch of the National The most important be the Pioneer Corps which will offer a one-year training the ages of eighteen fourteen training with the Guyana Defence Force to all Guyanese and twenty-five.

will also be eligible Scheme will period of between Those between the ages of and eighteen institution.
if not in school or other Service Service in this Corps is intended to be compulsory.

Initial stage, however.

and for some time thereafter, In the since the • Service will not be able the intake wilt be on a voluntary National eligible, their year of service, continue in the Corps for a further period not exceeding years.

members of the Corps,may, option, five basis.


At the end of to accommodate at their all those During this period they may become members, Corps, of educational Guyana and the Technical as at Tumatumari technical institutions Institutes, which will be concerned and settlers' skills.
such as the University or new training the through of such centres of with the teaching Through this scheme late developers will have another chance As part of their corpsmen relevant training, on society, of lean:1ing to our society.

of high national will have the opportunity create within the Pioneer Corps and through its to acquire the skills general to work on dev<Jlopment projects hoped to influence a sharing could learn from the worker and the technician where social persuasion country.
Service with the Pioneer the s e ttlement o f young p e o p le on State-owned Government'"()wned self and for Corps will be a prerequisite or whereby the student from the farmer, status, cease to retard the thrust for developing lands in the hinterland.

racial class distinction, and religious of experience groupings priority.

It is All who have served satisfactorily credits.


in the Pioneer Corps will be awarded special (e) The Special Service Corps or possess special may be recruited who have qualified as professionals for service in the Special Persons skills Members of the Corps would take up short assignments urgent nature.

would not normally The period of assignment exceed eight weeks.
After undertaking would be exempt from further assignments years unless they assignments members for a period of five for another assignment or other Service Corps.

an assignment volunteer earlier.

of an if employed Members will continue assignments the larger groupings within the private will receive an allowance their dependents to their salaries during public corporations, In other cases they expenses of be met while they are on assignment.

to receive by Government, to enable the normal living sector.
or The Corps will provide many ancillary services to complement branches o f National Service.

In the years the work of the various immediately Corps is established, important aspect of National Service.

ahead and, in particular, the Special until the National Reserve �n Service Corps will represent 10 (fl The National Reserve Corps It is envisaged This will be the last Corps to come into operation.
that all groups of the Pioneer Corps will be given an opportunity to sign up as reservists the stability, to be on call for work in any area vital and productivity of the country.
security to Initial Intake Into the National Service In the fim phase, it is proposed to put on an operational basis Iii The Young BrisJlde lly, reauits to the Young the age group ten to fourteen the National Initia within becomes operational, programme of teacher training to ensure National curriculum thoroughly moulding and that the values undemood by the lives of young Guyanese.

Service would be effectively Brigade will be accepted from years old.
Before this section Service will launch an intensive that the work of the integrated of the Co-operative with the teaching those who will be responsible Republic are for (iii The National Cadet Corp1 Here, again, the establishment an intensive course of teecher education.

of this Corps will be preceded by (iii)The New Opportunity Corp1 National Servica will, here, use the Sl'lme techniques Young Brigade end for the National Cadet Corps.

as for the liv) The Pioneer Corp1 .


, It is envisaged that during the first year of operation there will be 2,000.

A period of besic training will an intake and productive be followed by training of al)proximately on various agricultural ·... projects,t .. Estar:-::: tltablilltad 8$ a neceaary and complementary Tralnlnf.. are expected to be part of National pert of the experience and benefit -Fleta (taininO will be an essential u:;::ah:-i�� Service H=nd \ provide, Field training_ .

which � .
which � .

':',;o ··-,;;.,· 1- ·5trvit:e .,1111111 need to.

be.

canfulty ieteictad, planned and adminlltered in conformity .�pil& f'..� lic!!'

�nd ,ta!1i for_ai,icultural settle� � Each project will be "'deslll\CldJfiil it.

-.1:fM"""" '.tl,e centre of an agr1cuh:ural settlement with a R pP· l_t ""r �ma self.sufficient as soon as possible and be serviced by ... .

·��-bf Pion .. �l'.Plfflen as a normal put of their training.

._ • i , · -· '.
._ • i , · -· '.

· , · areas and projects will with 11 settlement Such settlement, pursuits.

Hinterland Development.

confined educational offlcers, levels, business enterprises, to agricultural facilities.
personnel, forest technicians teachers, workers clerical will be a fundamental feature of National though based on agriculture, will not be It will have to be provided with health and Among the settlers of various there will, therefore, be health types, administrators at various agricultural and other specialists, managers of and other personnel.
The programme of providing for the establishment Corps and other hinterland of the Pioneer Guyanese of foresight determined go east, to go resolutely communities scenic beauty are by themselves a reminder to the demands of today··and are past to go south, to go west, to for themselves new and sheer for living, of the real meaning of life.
fashioning potential enough to rise from the historical where the topography, who appreciate to the future, climate, settlers of townsh'ips for groups will be a challenge Conclusion National Service, as indicated above, is intended to be the principal of the type of and nt to ensure the emergence and the development instrume Guyanese men, women and youths essential and indeed, the survival furtherance, of the Nation, seems little, if any, hope of transforming great people: services, that in today's world, Guyanese of living must of necessity new and higher standards in terms national cohesion, national self-reliance, and our nation into a of goods and high standard self-reliant, in the country a reasonably our country self-disciplined, to the prosperity and without and enjoying and a worthwhile rise t o new and higher levels of awareness, and new and higher achievements .
and national efficiency of performance, life.

h is obvious patriotic, everywhere productive whom there of Diisign & Layout by Design & Graphics 12