Over 2,500 students benefitted from Parliament ‘Open House’

Students from Saint Stanislaus College being engaged by staff

The Parliament of Guyana’s three-day ‘Open House’ saw over 2,500 students from various schools given the opportunity to strengthen their understanding of democratic governance.

The activity commemorates the entity’s 70th anniversary as an assembly.

Several public and private schools attended the sessions, including Cherished Lambs Primary School, Marian Academy, St Stanislaus College, and Winfer Gardens Primary.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, said that the activity is intended to promote a deeper understanding of governance, as well as to pique the interest of Guyana’s youth in the legislative and parliamentary processes.

He said, “Specifically we wanted to target school children, as most times they are not necessarily interested in governance and young people are busy getting over exams, and want to enjoy other forms of entertainment. We found that, when we have schools visiting, there is a lot of interest, and now that Parliament is online, many children will end up seeing Parliament there. So, the open house has been extremely successful in terms of attendance, but also in terms of the engagements.”

The activity was open to schools throughout the Southern District, and day one saw an overwhelming turnout, with students from schools outside of Georgetown being engaged as well.

The students were also given the opportunity to engage with Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir

Visitors and students alike were taken on guided tours throughout the Parliament buildings where staff provided insight into the historical significance of several artefacts. They also had full access to the parliamentary chamber where they were briefed on the structure of sittings, as well as the various roles of parliamentarians.

Guided tours to the Frank A. Narain Parliamentary Library, and the surrounding compound were also included.

The speaker added that given the massive turnout, the possibility exists that the activity could become an annual one.

He also commended the hard work of the staff who enthusiastically engaged all participants in the activity.

The open house forms part of a series of activities to commemorate this milestone, including the Canadian Eyecare programme, naming of the parliamentary library and a celebratory reception.