Guyana has made considerable efforts to promote citizenship education. Yet, come election time, the apparent tolerance between the country’s ethnic groups is sorely tested. How can Guyana become a more cohesive country? How should citizenship education be re-worked to more effectively promote peace and co-existence?

A report from the Commonwealth Secretariat – prompted by a call from the Commonwealth Heads of Government to intensify efforts to promote education of values – takes stock of Guyana’s citizenship education programmes. Although it finds much to praise, the report calls for greater co-ordination, more resources and evaluation of existing initiatives.  

Guyana is a multi-racial society whose 750 000 inhabitants are concentrated along a narrow coastal plain. The largest ethnic group is formed of descendants of indentured Indian labourers brought to Guyana when the abolition of slavery created a labour crisis for the sugar industry. Christianity, Hinduism and Islam are the three main religions.

The government recognises the potential for education to advance nation-building, democracy, self-reliance, tolerance and justice. With external support, state and non-governmental organisation initiatives have aimed to create an effective learning environment to raise the general standard of education.

A range of participatory activities around citizenship education are occurring between schools and the community. Volunteering in the community, peer teaching and counseling is widespread. State and civil society actors now see the merits of working together. Relationships between schools, parents and communities are improving. Classrooms are becoming more child-centred and school councils are spreading concepts of democracy. Religious organisations are stressing that observance of their precepts is inseparable from good citizenship.

Among the many initiatives described are programmes:

• promoting the Colombian 'Escuela Nueva' approach to primary education with its emphasis on school democracy, co-operation and tolerance
• providing youth entrepreneurs with effective skills
• offering youth a second chance to develop reading and vocational skills
• training youth volunteers to work with community members to discuss issues around drug abuse, domestic violence, gender equity and environmental protection
• increasing opportunities for disabled people and challenging discriminatory  attitudes
• providing personal development and citizenship training to prisoners.

The report notes that there is insufficient sharing of experience to enable cost-sharing and efficient use of available resources. Some project heads only learnt of similar initiatives through the conference convened by the research team. The sustainability of projects is threatened by high rates of staff and volunteer losses – especially in Guyana’s rural areas – insufficient funding and the absence of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

The author recommends that policy-makers need to:

• articulate policy on citizenship education more clearly and promote public debate
• encourage greater collaboration between state, faith-based and civil society actors to develop a module of citizenship education with informative materials which will be young-people friendly and integrated into the curriculum
• consider whether projects are sustainable
• make greater efforts to ensure participation of people with disabilities
• recognise that religion can be used for acquiring appropriate values and tolerance
• undertake more aggressive promotion of a Citizenship Week to coincide with Youth Week.

Source(s):
‘Citizenship education in small states: Guyana’, Commonwealth Secretariat and Ministry of Education of Guyana, by Una M. Paul, 2002 Full document.

Funded by: Foreign and Commonwealth office small states grant

id21 Research Highlight: 2 December 2003

Further Information:
The Publications Unit
The Commonwealth Secretariat
Marlborough House
Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5HX
UK

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7747 6342
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7839 9081
Contact the contributor: r.jones-parry@commonwealth.int

Commonwealth Secretariat, UK

Other related links:
'Challenges for citizenship education in Trinidad and Tobago'

'Poverty and citizenship – learning from Britain's social security system'

'Listen to kids! Involving young people in improving urban environments'