The Government of Guyana provides access to free education at the Nursery, Primary and Secondary Levels. The National Policy provides for compulsory education from ages five years and six months to fifteen years.
The data shows that access to education is not a problem and that there is a high level of coverage in the Nursery and Primary Schools with significant increases in Secondary Institutions.
The challenge to the education system is to accomplish the goal of equity in education, that is, to provide all students with a comparable quality of education. This is a goal that can be achieved in the long term with improvements in school infrastructure and management, learning resources, effective teachers and efficient and effective educational services.
The present situation has given rise to the concept of “top schools” at the Nursery, Primary and Secondary levels in the Regions and especially the Georgetown Education District.
This has resulted, over the years, in the intense competition for places at these “top schools”, with parents requesting placement at these schools in the Georgetown Education District from different areas within Georgetown, the East Bank and East Coast Demerara as well as Region #3.
Although guidelines and procedures for placement exist, these are compromised through the provision of falsified documents, and incorrect information by parents and guardians.
It is in this context that it becomes necessary to review guidelines and procedures for the placement of students at the various levels of the Education System.
