Government has completed the installation of high-speed internet in Secondary Schools across four administrative Regions across the coast under its eGovernment Unit Secondary Schools Internet Connectivity Project.
Additionally, over the next two weeks, the Ministry will commence the distribution of laptops to teachers.
It was noted that every Secondary School in Administrative Regions 3, 4, 5 and 6 is now connected to the EGovernment 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) network which extends from Skeldon, Berbice to Charity, Essequibo Coast. In addition, all high Schools in Georgetown and its environs have also been connected to the fibre optic network that surrounds the city.
The Unit concluded the instalment of equipment to connect the Computer Laboratories at all secondary schools and the Technical/Vocational institutes in East and West Berbice and East and West Demerara.
While the aim is to ensure that internet connection is accessible across the country, the ministry disclosed that the driving force behind the project is to ensure that systems that will be implemented by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) in 2017, is afforded to all local Secondary Schools.
Much of the School-Based Assessments (SBA) for the next Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination, while much of student’s reading materials are available only in e-libraries.
During the release of the 2016 CSEC results, CXC also disclosed that it is moving to introduce online examinations.
It also forms a vital part of the Ministry of Education’s five-year strategic plan which was drafted some years ago, hinged on the operationalisation of the ill-fated fibre optic cable that the previous government had ‘landed’ from neighbouring Brazil.
To date, sixteen (16) schools in Region 6 including Tagore Memorial and Winifred Gaskin Secondary have been connected. Seven (7) secondary schools in Region 5 were connected including Mahaicony and Bygeval Secondary schools. In Region 4 between Mahaica ECD through Georgetown to Covent Garden Secondary EBD, some 41 secondary schools have been connected to the fibre optic network. At West Demerara, eleven (11) schools up to Parika are now connected to the internet via their computer labs and administration offices.
The Upper Corentyne, New Amsterdam and Mahaicony Technical Institutes in Regions 5 and 6; the Government Technical Institute, the Guyana Industrial Training Center and the Carnegie School of Home Economics in Region 4; and the Leonora Technical Institute in Region 3 have also been connected. The teams will very shortly move to Region 2, Essequibo Coast and Islands, to connect approximately six (6) schools before heading to the far inland areas and hinterland regions.
The Regional Democratic Council (RDC) offices in the respective regions have been connected to the same networks as well.
Minister of Public Telecommunications, Hon. Cathy Hughes, sees this development as the beginning of a long overdue process that will ultimately enhance ICT literacy across Guyana and improve our chances for rapid business development.
The first phase of the project caters for 94 secondary schools in both rural and urban areas and aims to create Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hubs in poor, remote communities to provide designated areas for public access.
