The Ministry of Education is distributing scores of high-quality textbooks and exercise books to students across Guyana, with the intention of enhancing education services.
The ministry’s specialised Book Distribution Unit (BDU) facilitates the timely distribution of textbooks for primary, secondary, and nursery students in every region, ensuring each child’s education needs are met regardless of their location.
Speaking on the ministry’s “Education Spotlight” programme, Darshini Balac, a key coordinator at the BDU, shared an in-depth overview of the initiative’s goals and achievements.
The BDU collaborates with regional education officers in Guyana’s ten sub-districts to monitor the needs of every school and timely address any text-book related issues.
In efforts to ensure that students receive the highest quality of education, the BDU sources textbooks directly from local and internationally accredited publishers and provides original copies to students.
According to Balac, “Everyone would be receiving brand new books as well as books that are in good condition they will still be using that.”
Every textbook is of the finest available standard and contains pertinent information necessary for passing important examinations including Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).
The books cover an expansive range of topics including traditional subjects like Mathematics, English, Social Studies, and all 36 subjects offered at CSEC.
A key objective of this programme is to ensure that secondary school children are well-equipped to perform excellently in regional exams, elevating the country’s overall performance rate.
Acknowledging the needs of the younger children, the BDU also distributes books that include specialised learning exercises for nursery and primary school children.
These books will specifically target the developmental needs of the youth and promote fast and fulfilling learning.
Further, for the first time, students will receive workbooks to write in, giving them a sense of ownership while facilitating interactive learning.
The books will be replaced every year for new batches of students.
Secondary students will also receive single-line, double-line, plain art, and graph books.
To modernise and streamline the textbook distribution process, the Ministry of Education has introduced a new WhatsApp contact service to allow parents, teachers, and students to report book shortages or request additional resources directly. Interested persons can contact the BDU on its WhatsApp number 713-1415.
