Planning needed to tap skills of overseas-based nationals

CARIBBEAN NATIONALS LIVING OVERSEAS CAN MAKE SIGNIFICANT
CONTIBUTIONS TO THE EDUCATION SECTOR of their respective territories if regional
decision-makers organise to tap into their skills contends Guyana’s Minister of Education, Ms.
Priya Manickchand.
Manickchand made the observation as a panellist on a virtual learning forum organised by the
Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) in recognition of Caribbean American Legislative Week,
part of the larger June month observance of National Caribbean American Heritage Month.
The Washington, D.C-based ICS founded National Caribbean American Heritage Month.
Manickchand reasoned during her presentation that should regional authorities build a database
of its overseas-based skilled nationals, the Caribbean learning sector can maximise benefits
available through a compact with them such as training schemes and transfer of knowledge and
skills.
The availability of such a facility will spur blended and virtual learning which Manickchand told
participants can help wean regional youths away from the lure of the ‘migrant mentality’ and
keep them more interested in remaining in the Caribbean as the region and world battle
overcoming the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The recent ICS-organised forum is the beginning of a conversation the Guyanese education
minister wants continue and pledged the country’s support.
“We would be glad to advance this in any way that we can because we also have expertise here
locally that can benefit persons from across the region and wider afield. It shouldn’t be left as a
conversation,” Minister Manickchand said.
She informed the forum that the portion of trained classroom teachers more than doubled in the
last three decades, jumped from 30 to 70 percent. Guyana is on its way to having all its teachers
fully trained and achieving Universal Secondary Education.

During the last three decades too, Guyana has achieved universal primary education, and access
to secondary education has climbed from 33 per cent into the high 80s, Manickchand reported.
She argued that for other critical changes to be made in the educator sector, a national buy-in
through consultation with stakeholders will be required.
During this year’s ICS’ Legislative Week, several themes were looked at based on the Institute’s
submission to the US State Department as part of its larger contribution to the development of
the 2021-2023 US/Caribbean Strategic Agenda.
“This will build on the groundwork that was laid by the ICS in 2017 when it coordinated
the Diaspora Consultation Process as partners of the US State Department. The themes are
diplomacy, security, health, education, prosperity, resilience and energy,” a press release
from the Guyanese Ministry of Education advised.