The National Science Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Fair has returned after a five-year hiatus. A ceremony for its launch was held at the Cyril Potter College of Education in Turkeyen. The theme for this year’s fair is “Transforming Education through Innovation and STEAM.” It will showcase 177 projects from schools across 11 education districts.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, declared the fair open today and spoke about the challenges faced by the education system during the COVID-19 pandemic. She highlighted the learning loss and antisocial behaviour displayed by some students due to the lack of supervision during their formative years. However, Minister Manickchand emphasized that the pandemic taught the ministry that Guyana has all the resources needed to have a first-class education system.
The Education Minister spoke about the construction of new schools across the country, not just on the coast but also in the hinterland regions, to ensure access to education. She also mentioned the ministry’s mission to train all teachers in the system to ensure high-quality education in the classroom. In addition, the ministry is providing textbooks to all students from Nursery to Secondary by September of this year, something that has never happened in Guyana.
Ms. Keisa Johnson-Richards, Curriculum Subject Specialist – Science at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), gave an overview of the fair. She said that this year’s fair is unique since it follows the STEAM Fairs held in the various education districts during March.
She said students at the nursery, primary, secondary, and tertiary level will share their experiences and make oral presentations at their booths, demonstrating the processes involved in the preparation of their projects and how STEAM was incorporated.
The National STEAM Fair ends on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, and is open to the public. The fair provides an excellent opportunity for students to showcase their innovative projects and for the public to learn about the importance of STEAM in education.
