The Ministry of Education and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Guyana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to launch the Guyana-China Friendship Youth Leadership Development Competition.
This is the second consecutive year the programme will be undertaken. The competition focuses on three areas: a community-based project, critique of a work of art and participation in sports activities such as athletics, gymnastics, dance and swimming.
Administrator of the Unit of Allied Arts, Mrs Lorraine Barker-King said that the objectives of the competition are to develop cognitive, emotional and civic skills among learners and to help display and exemplify their leadership skills and talents.
Pupils in Grades eight to ten in all eleven education districts will be allowed to participate.
Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said that her Ministry is happy to once again partner with the People’s Republic of China to help develop some well-rounded citizens.
“We at the Ministry here are talking about every student leaving [the school system] competent in certain subject areas and I make the distinction between competence and passing an exam because you don’t necessarily need to write it at CXC. This here, this program helps us to introduce that concept of a student being more than just their academic grades.”
She noted that it also aids in the Ministry’s post-COVID recovery programme to get children back into school.
“We believe at this point, where we are just about to hopefully return fully to school, that anything that interests our population and our students in coming back to school so that they can participate in any activity is also invaluable at this point,” she said.
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Madame Guo Haiyan said that educational exchanges and cooperation have been an important part of China’s relations with Guyana.
Chief Education Officer, Dr Marcel Hutson highlighted that last year, the initiative saw students coming into the rewarding terms of leadership by contributing to the development of the communities and by extension, the nation.
The programme has been expanded by an additional $1.2 million dollars. This will see 22 persons being honoured as opposed to last year’s 11.
Pupils interested in the programme can uplift entry forms from the Department of Education in their respective districts.
