Guyana/OER

Overview

Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is a state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. It is the only state of the Commonwealth of Nations on mainland South America. Guyana is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil, to the west by Venezuela, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. The population of Guyana is approximately 770,000 and its capital is Georgetown. At 215,000 km2, Guyana is the third-smallest independent state on the mainland of South America (after Uruguay and Suriname). It is one of the five non-Spanish-speaking territories on the continent, along with the countries of Brazil (Portuguese) and Suriname (Dutch), French Guiana (French) and the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands (English). The main economic activities in Guyana are agriculture (production of rice and Demerara sugar), bauxite mining, gold mining, timber, shrimp fishing and minerals. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labour and a deficient infrastructure. In 2008, the economy witnessed a 3% increase in growth amid the global economic crisis and is expected to grow further in 2009. The present population of Guyana is racially and ethnically heterogeneous, composed chiefly of the descendants of immigrants who came to the country either as enslaved people or as indentured labourers. The population therefore comprises groups of persons with nationality backgrounds from India, Pakistan, Africa, China, Europe (especially the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Portugal), with several Aboriginal groups as the indigenous population. These groups of diverse nationality backgrounds have been fused together by a common language, i.e., English and Creole. English is the official language of Guyana and used in its schools. In addition, Guyanese Creole (an English-based creole with African and Indian syntax whose grammar is not standardized) is widely spoken. Cariban languages (Akawaio, Wai-Wai, Arawak and Macushi) are spoken by a small minority.

Further information

For further general information see Wikipedia:Guyana/OER.

Education in Guyana/OER

For a general description of education in Guyana/OER see Education:Guyana/OER.

e-learning

For a description more focussed to e-learning see E-learning:Guyana/OER.

Internet in Guyana/OER

Around 170,000 internet users are reported. Broadband services are available for business and residential customers through the ISP Guyana Online (GOL). For further details see http://point-topic.com/content/operatorSource/profiles2/guyana-broadband-overview.htm (1)

OER Initiatives in Guyana/OER

National OER initiatives

Distance Education and Information Unit - The role of the Distance Education and Information Unit (DEIU) is to provide through the media of broadcasting and print formal and non-formal educational programmes geared to meet the needs of individuals. The DEIU:

- Provides programmes along a continuum from enrichment through learning resource, meeting special needs to direct teaching and curriculum reform.

- Initiates programmes that service national and developmental educational issues.

- Expands opportunities for in-service teacher education.

To discharge the above, the unit has three distinct sub-divisions:

- Broadcasts to Schools (formal) Radio.

- Talking about Education (non-formal) Radio.

- The Guyana In-Service Distance Education Project (formal) Print.

The Broadcasts to Schools section provides for five days - ten programmes per week - ten weeks per term, educational programmes to over 350 primary and all-age schools. These programmes provide enrichment and support the curriculum. The programmes are broadcast Mondays to Fridays from 13:30 - 14:00 hrs, Channel 11, Voice of Guyana. Talking about Education provides 3 evenings per week at 20:00, Channel 11, Voice of Guyana programmes which disseminate information on developments and issues within the educational system. It also initiates programmes on innovations in education. Website: http://www.ncerd.gy/documents/33.html (2)

References

1. ReVica/VISCED page for Guyana (http://virtualcampuses.eu/index.php/Guyana)

2. ReVica/VISCED page for Distance Education and Information Unit (http://virtualcampuses.eu/index.php/Distance_Education_and_Information_Unit_(Guyana) )

Reports

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