Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697744024504.pdf (Guyana)
ADDRESS BY HON.

C. V. NUNES, MINISTER DEVELOPMENT AT 11TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF CARIBBEAN UNION OF· OF EDUCATION AND SOCIAL / I TEACHERS, AT QUEEN'S COLLEGE ON TUESDAY, 21ST AUGUST.

1962.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies ahd Gentlemen, I appear 1,efore you today in a dual capacity -as Minister of Educa­ tion_ and Social Development Indeed if you believe, then there ·is no such.expression material more of a student than I was before.

change in my status since taking office as Minister, as "former teacher".
If there has been any it is that I am and as a former member of the Teaching Profession.

as I do, in the axiom "once a teacher always a teacher" Paradoxical my ministerial as this may seem, it is nonetheless true.

If I am to responsibilities to the points of view,.
the stern challenge discharge be receptive for meeting In that sense I am a student; ]east as much from, as I shall endeavour to contribute of a group perhaps better qualified solutions to the problems common to our emergent of independence and experienced and I sincerely nations.

hope, indeed, the ideas, the proposals which confronts of all c·oncerned us all today.

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expect to gain at effectively, I must, of necessity, than any other to find to, the deliberations One speaker at yesterday'·s Opening of two Ministers marked that, the appointment flected my Government's present context .

is self-evident, a tribute and.to which I am proud to have belonged.

of the importance of Guyana's political development.
and humility - in which I have served most of my adult life, but it is also -and I say this with due modesty to the entire profession appreciation of education in the That, on the face.of it, re­ Session from the Teaching re­ Profession of your Conference In his key-note · B.ddress that the emergence the Premier from a state of dependence was but the first stage in the process.
of transforming to you yesterday, of our territories was at pains- e·-·economic and social -to one in which there to point-out to one of independence, our society is equal opportunity from one of privileg ·and a better way of life for all.
In recent years, so much of our efforts has been devoted to the achieve­ and.independence have unwittingly that in the minds of many, these worthwhile ment of freedom objectives this danger� independent unequal opportunities, look on life which have become engrained become ends in themselves.

If we are not alive to we could well find that the energy to resolve to·become free and could weaken our power of action to engage the greater dragons of social attitudes, beliefs and out­ false values, in our people.
outmoded The ·fabric of standards of our soctety which are unnatural pursuit I should like to make a critical which we have acquired going to make maximum effort towards is riddled with examples of our slavish to our way of life and environment.

analysis of some of the social attitudes from the past, and which have to be changed, if we are economic and social advancement.

At this point one may well ask the important in social change.
Should education question be a mirror to reflect the as to the role 1qhich are · going on almost independently play an actjve role in bringing about certain in soc.iety, desired or should.

and desirable of education social changes education sociel changes?

_In most Western countries, it has been pointed out that the about by social content mainly as a result of pressure brought of education, changed and economic in under-developed societies where and as a consequEnce .
positive - has a more role to play es an agent of change.

If we accept the latter view - changes which were taking place in the society at· large •.

However it is felt that education is on the rapidity of economic social -change, the emphasis that education certainly as a change-agent should play its part in bringing do -then we coCTe to the next question about social qhange -as I as to the .role of education in Guyanese, Jamaican, Trinidadian and West Indian societies .

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-' ....... _·-.._ - 2 - Here we ne,ed to look a little more carefully at some of the social ..;: -a"i1d quite often· there is a lot 6f •silllilari ty between i s ·1n our· -sc cfotfes attitude Guyana and.

the .Islands., whi9h of these would need to be changed, soci.

al and economic ·programmes .because .

· · · · ···· ···-·· · ··· ·· ·· of.

our common.

hist.orical.

'Qackground anq.


to see in our if we are to make rapid strides and for centuries This meant For nearly a century and a half, the people in Guyana, subjects.

we were regarded as to the of this fact, we were deemed inferior were on rela­ the British e citizens.
Because of the Mother Country, and further, because with other nations the inhabitants of the Islands, had tha status of colonial that, in relationship of the United Kingdom, �9 the peoples second-rat citizens tively equal footing Germans., nations.

We had only to look around and see the barriers of West Indians, in terms of their ability to realise other nations inferior.

too began to accept the inferiority of our status.
we were regarded in the e�es of the world as inferior such 2.s the Americans, against that, 1·rl).ere After a time, this fact was like a self fulfilling prophecy, to enter, and settle in other countries, we were also thought to be and we were concerned, the French, the to the European the mobility I 'The Jamaican visitors what it feels 'like to be regarded here are the first among us who have been able people equal as an independent I.am sure you will agree with me that Mrs. Jam0s to experience in status to.all ether nations.
convincingly epitomis �d that feeling • yesterday morning .

Yet, despite our attainment of independence, Trinidadi:J.ns, guyanese or West �ndians, time -or the socIBl attitude� we must.

we may-hardly free ourselves we have developed as Jamaicans, -at least in such a short days.
But change under colonial Our colonial relationship has caused most of us to develop a hierarchieal occupied scale of values, in which the European This is one of the ma.in reasons why, although we are thinking of n ationhood nnd independence we cannot help holding patterns as the model which we should imitate.

standards mean, but also forget that standards text of our-needs and resources.

our best to.imitate the European - a tacit acceptance what can have meaning only in the con­ as inferior, .cmcl.
do y. the European and his behaviour We not only fail to define consciously We ragard our own standard of our inferiorit rung of the :ladder.

the topmost Let us take a rather obvious example -the question of dress.

I now quote from this morning'.s the People's National Congress, has their "masters" by dressing of Guiana.

with coat and stripped issue of the Graphic.


"Mr. Forbes Burnham, leader of the attitude pants in this tropical .of Guyanese denounced aptng .. • climate "At this stage when Guiana is on the verge of emerging as an inde­ country the people should take a new attitude in the changing he told a pendent It is time Guianese think me_eting on Sunday night.
It was time, he said, we start making our people means something understand that independence • I.J,,,..,� � of another" flag and the raising in terms of SUiana and stop aping others, more than the going down of one times.

-In these territories we have grown up to believe that man is not properly clad unl8ss he wears a coat and tie.

There are many cc-called to .secure "respectable" public places in these parts where it is difficult entry unless one is in "full regalia" so to speak-.
1Jiit�1@w. In our warm tropical climate a full suit with tie should be regarded as a short-sleeved as incongruous on a cold winter's tinue to regard this form of attire as the very essence of respectability, suffer in silence.

shirt would be in a temperate many of us.

We con­ y never strikes and day.


Yet this incongruit open-neck climate, This sort of outlook is no doubt part of our psychological make-up which was functional that we could be as good as tbe European behaviour which, to our minds, would increase in the old colonial days.

We had to prove to ourselves by imitating our status in society.

aspects certain of his One of the results of such thinking is that we become more concerned with the externals -with the facade of respectability, person behind it.
rather than with the 3 In ·fact many of our patterns of expenditure calls conspicuous consumption are dominated -rather than functional by a desire for show -what T.Veblem utility.

We find for example to let a man, .who is ordinarily dressed, who is dressed that gate keepers in a suit, especially wouid be of an institution pass, while he would throw if he happens reluctant both gates open to another to be in a car also.
Why is it that the man who is driving wearing a suit is iomediatel of the car, especially y categorised if the pigmentation a car and doesn't happen to be as thechauffeur, rather than the owner of his skin happens to be dark?

Our subordinate relationship with the European has left us with a peculiar complex about colour.

again set up as our ideal in skin colour.

This is the reason The anthropologist Society H. Henri�es describes very clearly its manifesta­ "Family and labour in Jamaica".
the West Indies.

Status in the .

to the shade of one's colour, obviously according tends to be distributed in a study entitled common throughout tions in Jamaican But this is a phenomenon society with the European why sales girls in a shop quite often tend· to give quicker service to the person who happens skin West Indian.

Similarly, owned by overseas people with lighter in which it was felt that only Europeans be trusted.

companies, such as skin pigmentation.


This is undoubtedly were honest, to be white, in preference the Banks, prefer to the darker.

those especially to to give employment part of the past and that no natives could many coa:mercial establishments, and !

!lore courteous and would undoubtedly All these manifestations affect the values which of our social life and values are around us, our pupils are developing in this society.
The question which I want to post here·is: "What can we as teachers do to create in our pupils an awareness and economic of good citizenship.
standing are artificial of the f.-, .. ct that mode of dress, social criteria, and are not necessarily symbols Have we tried,and shouldn't in our children's minds we in the immediate that one who does a task and does it well and future, try harder to and love for his fellow-being is a more worthy citizen, inculcate who has consideration though he may be a farmer or an unskilled worker who lacks these qualities?
worker, than say, a white-collar Another important result of our past colonial or a West Indian is that it relationship of inferiority feelin� result is that generally he has little a general in a Guyanese has dev@.loped and a relatively poor self-image.

The faith in himself and his ability which is necessary his country.
if he is to develop -in fact he lacks that degree of self confidence, a belief in the future possibilitie s of He sees anything as automatically Guyanese bett8r, than what he himself or West Indian as inferior, and anything imported poor image of ourselves social and economic ties, and our economic has undoubtedly affected development, trading position our achievement as n nation.

can make locally.
can make locally.

This the rate of our adversely, in the field of cultural activi­ We import me.ny more articles than we might normally have done, if we and respect for ourselves,fuith had more faith make, B!ld in what we can achieve through comparing with more developed their stendards happens, and their levels of performance because of our lower level of economic ourselves and respect in the products we our own efforts.
We are constantly nations, and when we fail to achieve often -which of necessity, development -then we regard our - 4 achievement other nations, as second rate.

as inferior,· ari.d our people who .

fail· to·· achieve the standards of , We need to take more positive steps to build up greater self confi- dence and a more favourable ·image of ourselves.

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of havi�g pictures Instead the walls of our schools great Jamaicans, learn to appreciate first, before we begin to appreciate great Trinidadians of the great men of other countries of great Guyanese, Similarly, and· our own countryside and·great West Indians.

the pictures we should the beauties ·of our own buildings let us start·with of other countries.
the beauties adorning We need to look more cl�sely of our origin ih ·slavery ashamed should give us greater bears, either through fighting to break away a better place in the sun, confidence their slave rebellions the chains of bondage, at our own historical system, cir_ under the indentured in our own abilities, · In fact this when we see that our for­ past, a..�d not be or estate riots, were constantly 'and trying to secure for themselves -To do this, we need more G:uyanese use of our songs, poems, music and literature in our schools, help in creating image to-which I have already for which, psychologically, this favourable .
we ·are badly in need.

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· and West Indian text books, and more These could all referred, and It is sometimes argued by purists in the fields of music, art, literature are so mnry classical duce these local productions i� our schools.

works available, it is professionally are not high enough, and since there infra dig to intro­ that our standards of performance I disagree with this view, since I see it-as another complex.

Unless we begin ?low to use what we have, .


and grad­ manifestation as we _go along,_ then we would never get anywhere in the improve­ of our inferiority ually improve ment of our own standards.

Another result of this, would be the building and that there is very little good West up of a Guyanese We often complain vfest.I�dian culture.

Indian music or art.

However, if we continue recorded our musicians be able to earn a decent living in our society, production would never flourish.
and artists music and not try to create, encourage and appreciate our own, then would not only be frustrated, but would also never and thes0 foi:ms of artistic to prefer juke boxes and foreign • I I I I., f •�' • �' .. ..-:: (I: j • 5 �In fact this is a vicious circle and unless we begin to break it down now, in.another decade we would be in the same position and would be making the same criticisms of our society.

good o7 bad - of a Guianese.


Some people identify their 1?elongingness is only of secondary In Guiana we have in addition failed to develop an image - to one or another ethnic group and being a Guianese consideration.

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In the past it was to the advantage of the ruling power to di�ide, so that they could rule more effectively orgarnsed attemJ?ts were made t_o bring the different ethnic groups together, first and foremost as Guianese.
of themselves to think and few Much might have been done in the schools to inculcate in a feeling of belongingness our citizens understanding gradually there would have evolved a common core of G-uianese culture which all groups could have shared.

But this was not in the s pirit of the times, and the task yet remains to be accomplished.
to the same country an and appreciation of each other's way of life, 'so that Creating would certainly this new social image, this confidence in slavishly follow those of other nations.

help us to tackle our problems in our ourselves, own way, rather than Obviously we do not want to get into the other position of thinking that everything Guianese or Jamaican or Trinidadian or West Indian is superior.

We want to learn from doing1 we must not foreet our own identity.
Our soiution certainly and since our resources are rather limited as compared with the more economically such as England, U.S.�.

countries U .S .S .R.

Germany etc.

we must not be ashamed of our ovm standards, if we are fully convinced that this is the best we can do at the moment, and that we still have our eyes on higher goals.
other countries but in so must be linked with our own problems and our own resources, developed I think it is true to say that all our territories to some degree by this problem of how best to cut our represented confronted social and economic suit to fit our political cloth of freedom and independence.
l at this important and historic conference are ; Styles may vary from territory to territory, same, and you will, I am sure, be problems are ba8ically the interested about and, in some respects are actually implementing at this moment.

in the programmes which we in Guyana have been thinking but the In planning an educational programme for an independent Guyana my Government is fully cognisant of the fact that education can play a vital role in the economic and social advancement the country.
An educated citizenry progress and development, the greatest liberating reaction, exploitation.

bigotry, superstition and political and economic forces in our struggle against ignorance and education is recognised is our best investment as one of of in 5 Our children and youths are among the most precious of our potential asset�, and system, we will be able to enhance tremendously, the value of· these assets to our economy.
we hope that through our educational In addition to the purely economic aspects of education my Government the increased efficiency.which trained man-power, opportunities ability to pay the population, or social class.

No educational institution should in itself be on its and confer a status of superiority a source of privilege students.
irrespective of colour, religion, on an equal basis to all sections of from an educated and wants to ensure that educational are available must result These two factors -equality of educational and are removal of pockets or prestige in any educational This of major consideration to us as socialists.

opportunity institution sort of .

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/ feeling of ') 6 feeling of superiority is at the root of the system of social tends to perpetuate a stratification in society and structure operating with class barriers, with a truly democratic society.

· · social which are incompatible � One writer has drawn our attention to the fact that one of the main roots of·class discrimination in any society.is the disparity of life opportunities or "life chances" sections of the society.
When education available to one economic group, then this becomes a major factor in the perpetuation of class differences.

is more easily between·diffl:ren" In short, my Government aims at developing a. national system of education which will provide all Guyanese with the opportunity of achieving their educational ambition and sharing in all the educational regard to considerations circumstances.
long-standing discriminations, at integrating at the very start of life, and preventine disintegrati freedom and independence.
This educational system a.lso aims at removing roung Guyanese facilities which are available of race, religion or economic on of our society when we are the portals of the uhreatened without under-develo In economically Guyana, manpower is one of our greatest capital assets; to make full use of these assets and resources, we need an imaginative especially for our youths and children.
of education and such as ped territories and resources programme material traininG l\nother very important programme is to produc_e among the citizens sense of belonsingness to their country -producing nationhood among the different This fostering of a spirit of nationalism country is necessary of unity in Guyana.

aim of our educational if we are to achieve and preserve a sense and.rootedriess in ·our· groups that make up our population.
of Guyana a greater a sense of Our educational system must therefore be geared to effectivel y as a means of bringing function integration whereby the people ·of Guyana would overcome the divisive elements in their midst, and unite together as one people, strivine: this country better for all.
towards the common goal of making life in about this national The structure of our national system of educ·ation will embrace from nursery to adult community has been divided into eleven educational of these will come under the supervision officer who will be responsible for the ·implementation of the total educational programme in his district.

education.
education.

Guyana districts, and c:C10h of a district education Nursery Schools for, and has no immediate plans for the at this stage of the child's life, since of more nursery schools, it fully reali.ses At the bottom of this educational structure would come our nursery schools which would admit crdldren from 3 - G years of age.
Although Government cannot at this moment accept financial responsiblity establishment importance of education his later attitudes by his experience in the nursery school.· •rhese schools should pro�ide for the child an atmosphere and an ordered and regular way_ of feeling of space and life.

The child in such a school would be on friendly terms with his teac�ers have at hand the material through which he may develop his · powers and enlarge his experiences.
child should show the gaiety, curiosity, and adventure, and develop the power of self-expression.
In a good nursery school,the friendliness and otehrs who minister to his needs, and shoulc to learning can be considerably of natural affection, a security affected of spirit the To ensure that the ri3ht conditions exist in nursery schools, we propose that anyone who wants to open up nurse:y schools in the future should-provide reasonable for the .children a nd a competent teaching and equipment accommodation staff.
/ The teachers ...• ) ("' 7 "The teachers should have some training practice of have already started, and will continue, for nursery school teachers.

nursery school education,.

in the principles and to effect this, we and to arrange courses In addition, many Local Authorities have expressed the desire to open nursery schools in the rural areas.

We shall .

always givo encouragement to such activities.


With the economic development of British Guiana more and more job opportunities become available to women and properly run nursery schools will be needed.

will Primary Education primary school and for most children experience of formal education.

At the next level in the educational system is the in Guyana, this is their first In all advanced countries of the world -in the U.S.A., in Russia and in Germany prim'3.ry education of six years.
In Guyana the term "primary schools which cater for children Such schools should really be referred to as all-age schools.

From September 1, 1962, these schools primary and secondary the first six years of the child's formal education and will, generally speaking, at the age of 12 years -hence:- extends over a period schools" will be re-organised into begin when the child is six years old and end Primary education divisions.

from 6 -16 years is a misnomer.
will embrace referring to Preparatory A for the 6 year old Preparatory B for the 7 year old Standard Standard II for the 9 year old Standard Standard IV for the 11 year old III for the 10 year old I for the 8 year old and will then be ready to pass to the second or So by the age of 12 years the child will complete his primary education secondary stage of education Age 12 represents but also an administratively childhood to adolescence -from the primary to the secondary of education.
as obtains in all developed countrio�.

from convenient age of transition not only the attainment of puberty more or less, 6 years of stag€ During the primary stage of education, the child will study such subjects as health and physical education, creative music, art and craft, drama, language, activities comprising elementary social and environmental studies.
mathematics, and The course in the primary school should not only aim at under­ in reading, expression, teaching the child certain skills standing and number work, but should begin of hims5lf in relation Secondary Education to his world around him.

to make him more aware arts; Secondary The next rung of tho educational Education.

How should this be organised?


ladder is t hat of At present all p rimary schools in Guyana hsve curricula containing nenrly the same formal elements educational education aims, but our present organisation lines.
is on bipartite pursued with similar of our seconda.ry secondnry this not tend have pursued different Would this division If after a comprehensive primary school education, education in two types of schools, is provided might to create artificial divisions between those who studies in different types of schools?

not tend to fragment our culture?

My Government given to different instruction (such as the bipartite or a tripartite seems to be of doubtful instruction in different schools.
is not against a division of children of different the types of abilities but it system provides), value to provide different types of / My Government •••• 8 , • • <.. My Government is more in favour of the comprehensive school as the answer to the or5anisation of secondary in Guyana.

As you are aware., a comprehensive is one which caters ror all 12 children area.
or all abilities secondary school education in any Guyana's goal is demo.cracy, and as far as secondary education is concerned, this means increasins equality of opportunity social experience for its youths.

Segregation two types does not seem a valid arrangement of these nims.

area of common educational l:\nd and an expanding of schools into for the achievement It is invalid, yhus militates against the common posited by� conception or democracy.
becnuse it segregates the youths, and social and educational.experience 9 It should make f�r better human and social-relations day life, if the managerial technical workers, and t;he skilled and the background at the secondary unsldlled class and the operatives, in community and in world..ng the clerical and the workers have a common school stage, as at the primary stage, of their education.
All adolescents should then come nearer to speaking a common language as sound basis s and working experience, as is .provided of basis culture, however f1r beyond that common Were all youths to continue to share_ this com­ in our primary schoors, life might be es­ n by future occupa­ The grrur_.mar upon whose weal th fundamentally and share a common background area some of them might advru1ce.
mon educational in all forms of activitie for good.human relations tablished at the start, and the risks of fundamental segregatio tion, may not be so great, if there is a common cultural school youth may not be drawn away from the majority of his fellows, will fall the labour upon which the national shoulders depends, and upon which national reared.
The youth, whatever his academic lacking the awareness ( and perhaps The comprehensive and experience, of a rigid class system in our society, since this is the very antithesis a Socialist Seciety.

1 ower) walks of life, is a social illiterate c value of his fellow-countr and should play an effective attainments, who leaves school, this common educational school should provide in modern society.

of the intrinsi environment foundation.


ymen in other part in preventing_the perpetuation of life w ith its social and cultural amenities, is I Free secondary education in comprehensive schools is an ultimate aim of policy.

Howev�r, proposals for reform must square with financial realities.

of the compre·,.cnsi ve secondary school.


Our firmcial position does not now perm.it the immediate and economic implementation has been decided In the circumstances, it that secordary education will be of two ty;;ics: Secondqry who can profit from this type of education; Grammar/Technic al' education and for those adolescents Modern Education Secondary to profit from the Gram.mar/Technical of education would make full use of concrete It will include vocational training.
for adolescents as opposed Schoo], Courses.

This type practical and learninb.
tu abstract would be partly academic and pa.,:tly w,10 are less likely Th,..i1-.gh the Grammar/Technical type of education worud not be free for 1 is already Government implementing }rammar Schools all students Durinb this jear the Government has offere� 161 free places tv the Government Second·ary by decidi:..�g formance best chi�Lren of the parents' in addition to grant a free.place to.all children at the Common Entrance Examinatfon are not allowed to go without we are malting' sLUe ·that many of our a Grammar/Technical 64 scholarships.
to the existing plans with to pay for it.

jnability education, tuis objective in mind.

who have made a certain per­ Hore over, because The Secondary i:lic'iepi type of education would be av�.ilable f ree of charce, Such education age schools Seconda1-;f and eventually Modern cl.epartments would be oftered in the post-primary Secondary in separate - or secondc1ry divisions of all­ rilodern Schools.
In these the 12 plus youth will be in form 1 .. the 13 plus youth will be in form 2 the 14 plus youth will be in form 3 the 15 plus youth will be in form 4 Here chj ldren .would be prepared Exa��nrtion, and later, on for the G.C.E.

1 0 1 level, free of charge for the College of Precept'ors •••• / Selection 10 Selectio n f'or Grammar/Techni0al Secondary Education will be based on the results ages of 10 and 12 while attending of·the ColilI!lo� Entrance examination taken by children between school.
the primary the Ap;ricultural Education Our attitude to manual work is one which has significance in our hip we built up past hisotry.

a· general dislike jobs.

The result W?S that we still regard manual workers, as on a lower sociatlevel .

; of slavery and indentures for manual work and thought only in.terms of whi-te.
:..collar collar jobs • to clerical or other white After our experience skilled or unskilled, Guyana and the West Indies in general satisfactorily countries and we cannot pro;rress to manual work is changed.

It ri..s essential that in our education both in the Secondary GralIIIIlar/Technic we towards the take'iilhuediate steps to enlishten the attitude need for greater be· fully re-orientated attitude to aJriculture.

agriml tural piroduction.


of the population This means that rural education in our youths the elements of a scientific al and in the secondary modem schools in.culcating towards programme must are primarily unless the present attitude agTicultural Technical Education.

Let us see what happens next to the boy or cirl who finishes his secon­ dar� education at about 16 years of aGe• He might decide to go straight into a job or seek an apprenticeship.
In many cases he would find that he needs further training and to ir,.eet this need, we are considering each of the three counties.

These centres work beinb done at the existinb courses courses conducted the needs of the area and of the country trade Schools by providin The provide.

the trade schools at such centres would be run in close conjunction craft centres would aim at supplementing :plans to establish above those ·which 6 additional over and as a whole.
already vri.. th in the in certzjn $kills The Technical Ins�itute in Georget01-m at the moment provides both craft and technical done at the Technical .

sti tution and be conducted up throughout the country •.

training.

It is proposed that the craft work now being Institute will eventually at the craft centres be transferred from this in­ which it is proposed to set At the same time efforts will training Technical more technicians.

part of our University of Guiana.
at the Government Technical Institute so that it would produce · Some time in the future this institution would also become be made to upgrade further the 1 evel of University Education -Coller:;e of Liberal Arts and Sciences For those students whose interests course we are h'oping to establish as froin Octobe� , 1963 and abilities would allow -yhem to follow a. more academic a College for univeristy of Liberal Arts and Sciences education to be secured in Guiana which would make it pos,sible locally.
At present University Education because of its high cost is on.ly available to a relatively small section a College to a vUider section of Liberal of the population.

�,ts and Sciences would make university education a·.vailable of trn·community.

The establish:ment of The College would provide its formal lectures after 4.30 p.m. :and this who were willing to scorn delights a: .nd live after work.
This would make t;;he ac­ grounds, to a wider·• section dsgree easier on financial s nichts to study in the eveninGS wouldl make it possible for students laboriou quis:i tion of a University of �he population Uni vrersity, education the!lllselves as a superior and w�ld reduce the social snobbery wh.en which develops is only available social group or class in society.

to a small 6TOup who tend to esta.


'.blish this In addition / is the only•••••• .. 11 ..,_ .. / is the only way in which we would be able to broaden strata from which our future administrative, be drawn.

The case for the withdrawal and the establishment Talk I recently party.
of our own University in a very short tiri1e the managerial from the University and technical staffs will of the West Indies gave and copies of the Text will be available to any interested has been set out more fully in a Curriculum Planning We recognise the need for periodic reviews of the curricula institutions.
Modifications of the suggested curriculum to the Education Code, 1940 have been made from ti·de to time, but there is not contained of educational as an appendix, 7 in existence any one document embodying all tbose modifications.

The production of a Curriculum Guide, a draft of which has quite recently been sent to schools, infomation are now being reorganised on educational thinking about teaching into primary and ·secondary departments.
is an attempt to bring to the attention of teachers the latest in our all-age schools, which Our Heacl Teachers and staffs of schools will be eJ...'}lected to use the 6uidc be mastered and that opportunities for i:he wide variety met.

It is hoped that the basic or 6eneral and special in such a way as to ensure that the educational cular area are adequately sldlls will contained riculum 1;ruide physically should result in the production in the guide will be provided in each school.
Intelligent individual of a patriotic s of e}._'Perience use of the cur­ mentally and equipped to lead a full life as a useful member of the Guyanese Society.

needs of the children in any parti­ It has often been said and not without justificat ion that we have been clearly a course which pursued b exotic patterns.
Our present concern is tha.t any curriculum reflect slavishly followin devised should be lmowledgeable, critical, industrious and to be fully aware of their responsi apart from given to Civics,Social Economics the more traditional and School Gardening and Environmen academic and practical, bility to their community.

should help the children to have a sense of direction this end Towards must be emphasis tal Studies, to Arts and Crafts, to Home more and more subjects to and to Elementa.ry Science.
Local Text Books In keeping with the policy of developing a national outlook we propose to 6ive every encouragement to local writers flavour.

A number of publishers we have under consideration the setting will be encouraged are willing to co-operate to produce text books w ith a local in this connection le schools up of a text book Unit.

r,1eanwhi to give an important place to indigenous poems and songs.
and Examinations At present there is too large a number of local examinations for persons who enter t e teaching take up a teaching three teachers taken up in preparinb profession.

career is required to pass five pupil teacher to A pupil from the primary school who desires then examinations certificate examinations and more of his time and energy might be ce.

professional competen than in gaining for examinations We are gi.

ving consideration to a reduction tions.


The introduction schools and the Pupil Teachers Examination as an entrance qualification to teaching.
will in time bring about the abolition of the College of Preceptors , conducted by the Union of Private Secondary Schools since the College of Preceptors is no,w regarded This examination which was formerly will with the consen.t of this rs be conducted by the lllinistry of Precepto training w ill also reduce the number 0£ entrantJ of the College pre-service in the number of these exarnina•• Examination in the all-age School Certificate of the Primary Certificate Examinations which it is also anticipated wiJ.l be reduced to two.
A bood deal has already been said ofi the Comm.on EntrancG Union and the approval of Education.

Proposed to the Teachers from three classes Examination.

/ The Examina ti o:ns •• • • 12 ·>-·1 ?

'.ihe Examina-cions Section of the Ministry of Education and Social Insn.tute of Book-keepers Degree examinations, London and Cambridge conducts a large number of overseas examinations including -Bar G.C .E.
ex­ Developillent Exarnir�ations, University amir,.a.tions, ExamirLE1.tions, examinations examined the whole matter of e:xaruim tion costs and has effected some re­ duction in costs and increased some of the local fees with a_ view to bringing about as near as possible a balance between expenditure and receipts.

examinations, London Chamber of Commerce did not clear the expenses involved.
My :Ministry has, however, Royal Society of Arts examinations - hitherto some of these As from 1964 the Cambridge University Examinations Syndicate proposes to atolish the School Certificate try of Education therefore proposes tu encourage all secondary schools to take the same G,C.E.

either that of London or of Cambridge.

Such a change would be eco:p.omical as well as administratively Examination in favour o f the G.C.E.

The Minis­ convenient.


Recnij_ tw:?,il t ·-·-:1 .. Training of Teachers Government is anxious to recruit the best possible material for the e1ucation s8rvice.

It 'is anticipated more students will wish to adopt teaching as a profession.

teaci:1ir1g secon1aI"J It is pro�osed that holders of G.C,.,E, Certific�:te should be accepted as probationers until such time as they system The pupil teacher may te ad::-itted t o the Government Training College.
will continue for some time but we aim at its ultimate abolition.

that with the extension of facilities for the College of Preceptors Certificate or the 1ess tb.an 25% of over 3,000 teachers employed have been trained.

GovenJ.Eent c,ims at training as·large a body of t eachers in as short a time as is consistent with efficiency.

Up to 1958 only 30 first year nnd 30 second year students were in training at the Government Training College.
In 1959 an e1nergei1cy one-year course w-as instituted by which 150 students were in train­ ing about half of whom were in residence.

It is Government's as from 1962 and to this end the College will stantially sidential so th.

::i.t existing residential rooms.

Emphasis will be progressively shifted tqpre-service policy to increase the number of students sub­ can be used for lecture be entirely non-re­ accommodation training.
Entrance to the Goven1ment Training College will normally be by way .tion but holders of a Class I Teacher Is Certificate or the G.C �E.

of e:x,:,r1-i_r,:;i Advanced L.;Vel in two or more subjects or may be acl!

:nitted to the College without holders of a Higher School Certificate having to take the Entrance Examination" Candidates will be selected on the basis of order of merit without regarJ.
tc sex, A certain number of places will be reserved for teachers remote are2.s where it is difficult to recruit or retain qualified Teache::'.

's for reserved places must, satisfy the requirements of the College, and must sign a contract to return to work in the area from which they are selected for a minimum period of three years • however, take .the entrance examination and from staff.

Schoo� Bnildings: Government has been doing what it can to provide increasing dation for school children.
At present there are 19 new schools under constructj_on and these will provide accommodation for several t,1ousand still , .hc,:•rcver, according di tioiul school places in the next four years.

To meet this need Government is prepared to erect Gcvernment Schools wherever possible subject to the availa­ bility of funds.

Because of the enormous costs involved we must rethink the whole approach to the design of construction of schools within resources.

be need for approximately 50,000 ad- children.


There will to projections very limited accommo­ / We hope ... ..... \ 1___, We hope to build as many secondary schools as from 6 -12 and secondary possible with a view to all-age schools, its policy of prims.ry education of the separate departments education implementi!lf; from 12 to 16 years.

Where there are not enough children to have separate and secondary curricula or secondary for economy throughout our institutions.
female Headteachers when in fact women teachers ts.

counterpar to the needs and • .All new schools built whether, with modem trends as well as in keepinb Indeed the equality There is no reason why there should be so few will be co-educational, will be built suitable and convenience.
so greatly outnumber schools their male primary of the sexes should be reflected primary Practical work departments will as far as pos::,ible these will include laboratories, be attached to all and Home Economics handicraft secondary schools; .

departments.
departments.

Mrs. Dalton James who so ably and humourously the hope thtthe interest moved the Vote of Thanks of the Governments of these territories yesterday, expressed in the development common knowledge on education than most territori fied and will continue our financial of education that Guyana already means.

would be reflected in the Budget.

I thirL�, it is spends a higher precentage of the annual budbet es in this area.
We are, however, far from satis­ to face up to our educational needs within the limits of I would like to.repeat that for our economic as we would like we need both physical factors as rapidly labour force etc and also the correct social attitudes.

development to take place such as capital, a trained The social attitudes we acquired in the past were functional for those days but are out of step with the tines.
We need a new social image of the Guyanese and the West Indian -not one in which he slavishly of his former masters but one which is based on an awareness of his ow importance and equality.

The feeling among other nations of the go overboard world, This is the only way he would ever be ablG to assert his freedom within his OYm context.
to think seriously about a solution has to of inferiority which he built up as a colonial if he is to take his place ribtitfu.lly iD his own problems tries to imitate and begin the behaviour These new social attitudes in our children through the stories, to which we should expose them, There is the danger that unless teachers aware of this to inculcate the old social attitudes were all brought up and not r�alize order.
the music and literature are fully in which we that these are out of date in then ew social we should begin to inculcate the textbooks, they may continue the pictures, Having been a primary school teacher I think I can say from first hand experience Teachers Association -and the teachers belong to it are all a devoted, the West Indian teachers said of teachers in the Caribbean generally.

who belong to it and those who do not group.


Judging I have met and have heard, I think that this can also bo hard worki..ng and progressive from in British Guiana for many years that on the whole the British Guiana I am sure that they possess that the old values arid attitudes are cban�;i!l{; of trying to obstruct them, they would do everything new soci.. Indies are to go full ahead with their differei development.
the necessary vision and foresight to see and have to change, and that instead in their power to usher in this al era and these new social attitudes which arc necessary if the West t programmes for social and economic In my talk to you today, I have tried to cover as much ground as possibla, to paint a picture, not only of our present hopes and dreams for the future.
We do not believe we bave all the answers, but we hope that in your deliberations to at least some thing of value to your otm territories reliJarded.

of our educational problems you will be able to point the programme, but a lso of our plans and in Guyana.

If in i;he pro�ess, then we shoulci both fe�l doubly emerges, some­ way t� solutions