Ensuring Guyana’s most vulnerable children are not left behind

November 7, 20262 min read

Dear Editor,

There is something particularly meaningful about the opening of Region One’s first Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school in Mabaruma^[1].

Beyond the building, the commissioning ceremony and the photographs, we must appreciate what this represents: an investment in children who require a different kind of educational support to realise their full potential.

For too long, children with special educational needs and disabilities have faced barriers that go beyond the classroom. Accessibility, specialised teaching, appropriate learning environments and support for families are all part of the equation.

The establishment of this facility is an important step towards addressing those barriers, and this is where we must recognise an important aspect of the PPP/C government’s development agenda: development must not be measured exclusively by roads, bridges, buildings and economic growth. It must also be measured by how effectively we improve the lives of people who are most likely to be overlooked.

Guyana has been expanding its educational infrastructure with more than 100 nursery, primary and secondary schools constructed over the past five years, according to the Ministry of Education.^[2] The government has also been pursuing improvements in literacy, STEM education and access to secondary schooling.

These investments matter because education is not simply about passing examinations. It is about creating opportunities, developing independence and equipping every child to participate meaningfully in society.

However, let us be clear: constructing a specialised school is only the beginning. We must continue investing in trained educators, appropriate learning resources, specialist support, accessibility and sustained assistance for parents and guardians.

A school building cannot do the work of an entire support system. To the young people reading this, development is not just about how many skyscrapers we build or how much oil we produce. It is also about the opportunities we create for the child who learns differently, the family that needs additional support and the young person who deserves an equal chance to succeed.

A truly developed Guyana must be a Guyana where opportunity is not determined by a child’s circumstances or abilities.

That is the kind of progress worth defending, demanding and building upon.

Yours Truly,
Dr. Josh Kanhai, MBBS PGDip

References

Region One gets first Special Education Needs school - News Room Guyananewsroom.gy ↩
Universal Secondary Access Advances – Min Parageducation.gov.gy ↩

Region One gets first Special Education Needs school - News Room Guyana

newsroom.gy, Oct 6, 2026

Universal Secondary Access Advances – Min Parag

education.gov.gy, Sep 17, 2026

Guyana is on the cusp of achieving universal access to secondary education, as the President Irfaan Ali-led Government continues to expand school infrastructure, strengthen foundational learning and invest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. This is according to Minister of Education Sonia Parag, who was reflecting on her first year in office during the second term of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Administration. She highlighted the significant transformation across the education sector. Minister Parag said the construction of more than 100 schools at the nursery, primary and secondary levels over the past five years has significantly improved access, particularly for children in rural and hinterland communities. WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-25-at-90139-AM-1 Minister of Education, Sonia Parag, during remarks at the launch of the STEM STELLAR programme “With the completion of several secondary schools by the end of this year, we will be achieving universal access to secondary education,” Minister Parag said. The minister said this represents a major milestone for Guyana, particularly for communities where students previously had to travel long distances or leave their communities to access secondary schooling. She pointed to communities in Regions One, Seven and Nine, including remote areas such as Paramakatoi and other hinterland communities, where expanded school infrastructure is bringing education closer to children. According to Minister Parag, the reduced need for students to travel long distances or live in dormitories to access schooling is already contributing to improved retention. She noted that the most recent Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results showed a strong retention rate among students who had entered the education system through the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) five years earlier. “That retention rate was very, very good for CSEC as well, meaning that our students stayed on all five years. We didn’t have much of a dropout rate,” the minister explained. She said this development demonstrates the impact of increased access to educational resources and infrastructure, and the government continues to broaden opportunities through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and other specialised programmes. Building the human capital for Guyana’s future A major area of focus is STEM education, which Minister Parag described as critical to preparing Guyanese students for the changing world of work and the country’s expanding economy. The government and ExxonMobil have made investments, over a 10-year period, to strengthen STEM education, including developing a STEM Centre at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus. The facility is expected to serve as a major hub for STEM learning and development, with Minister Parag noting that it will be modelled on a similar facility in Houston, Texas. In preparation for that investment, 62 students are being trained as teachers through the STEM teacher-training programme.

Source

Ensuring Guyana’s most vulnerable children are not left behind in Guyana Chronicle, November 7, 2026