A juvenile offender detained at a Juvenile Holding Centre has defied the odds and secured six passes at the 2020 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination. This was disclosed by Juvenile Corrections Teacher, Mr. Robert Bourne.
The name and age of the juvenile has to remain confidential. However, the young man who is determined to be a better person secured a Grade one in English A, Grade two in English B and Grade threes in Mathematics, Social Studies, Office Administration and Principles of Business. He is still awaiting results for Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM).
While no juvenile offender wrote the examination in 2021 due to the pandemic, Mr. Bourne said four are preparing to sit the exams in 2022.
In 2019, two juvenile offenders sat the CSEC examinations and secured Grades one and two in English A, having only two hours of classes per day.
Although the juvenile holding centre caters for teens in conflict with the law, emphasis is placed on rehabilitation and re-integration of the youths into their communities.
Mr. Bourne said through the National Center of Educational Resources Development (NCERD), 12 juveniles are engaged in a literacy programme. He said since beginning the programme, they have shown significant progress.
In March 2021, juveniles were awarded certificates after engaging in a five-month Academic and Skills Training Programme. The training was collaborative effort between the Juvenile Justice Department and the University of Guyana.
A total of 12 juveniles participated in the programme which was aimed at supporting the education, rehabilitation and reintegration of juveniles, through a Skills Development Project and Educational Workshop.
They were engaged in the areas of Phonics, Mathematics, English, Self-Awareness, Goals Setting and its Achievements, the Effects of Drug Abuse, Anger Management, Conflict and Conflict Resolution, Art and Craft, Cement Craft and Photo Editing. [Extracted and Modified from DPI]
