I am pleased to be part of this appreciation ceremony for our students who excelled at the recent examinations. I wish to congratulate this year's top three students at the CXC, Alexina Haynes, Ghiliyia Permaul and Sarah Williams and the top three at the Common Entrance, Amrita Singh, Raj Persaud and Lise Rodrigues. I know many more of you have done well and I want to congratulate all of you.

Our students have also been stealing spotlight at the region, having won, at the CXC level, the distinction of the overall best twice in three years. Ms. Amlata Persaud was outstanding as the overall best in the Caribbean last year and in 1997 Mohalani Chatterdeo was adjudged the overall best student at the CXC examinations. I wish to congratulate them.

While we single out the best for praise, it must be recognized that in general our students are performing better and better with each passing year. And, as we basked in the glory of our top performers we must not overlook the fact that thousands in Community High Schools and Primary Tops cannot write the CXC. It is a sad reflection of the entire education system that at such an early age, these students are condemned to limited opportunities as a result of not doing well at a single examination the Secondary School Entrance Examination.

This a serious impediment in terms of empowering young people and providing opportunities for them to develop their full potential. Over the last eight years, as a result of a number of policy initiatives, the government has succeeded in increasing the intake from the primary level to secondary schools from 35 to 62 percent. And within the next three years we are committed to providing every child leaving primary school with an opportunity to sit the CXC/GCE examinations.

This year, over 6000 students sat the examinations drawn from 70 secondary schools across the country. The number of subject entries dramatically rose to over 32000, thanks to government's subsidy to parents, in particular those from low-income categories. Interestingly, we have noticed that the success rate is spread throughout the country which means that the system as a whole is reacting positively to recent policy changes.

My Government is committed to providing education to all the children and young people of Guyana. And not simply education, but quality education, one that allows for the total development of the human personality. The education we provide to our children must be relevant to the developmental aspirations of the individual and by extension to the nation as a whole. The emphasis can no longer be on the three R's- reading, writing, and arithmetic, important as these are. The imperatives of our time now require a new set of skills and competencies if we are to cope with and face up to the challenges of the knowledge-based society.

It is for this reason that I have taken a decision to push the acquisition of information technology skills in a much more aggressive way. We live in a new era, one characterized by massive a generation, dissemination and application of information and knowledge. This has been made possible by putting to use latest technological and scientific advances, mainly in the area of computer development. The extent to which we adapt to this new environment will depend in large measure on our ability to use this new technology for the development of our country.

In order to achieve this goal, the government intends to provide every school with computers and computer education to aid the teaching/learning process. I would like to see each and every school in this country hooked to the internet or what is often referred to as the information superhighway. Also, it is my intention to make it possible for thousands of homes to be connected to the internet in 5 years. The use of this technology must no longer be seen as tools only for the privilege but for all, especially young people.

Advances in science and technology have in a sense revolutionized the way we deliver education. It is now possible to conceive of classrooms without walls and chalkboards and without teachers physically in front of a class. Through distance education, it is possible to deliver quality education to all the children of Guyana, regardless of location and geography. This is of particular relevance in the context of a paucity of trained and graduate teachers especially with respect to hinterland communities. Work on this I has already commenced.

Education must cater for the all-round development of the human personality. This means that we have to prepare our young people to have an appreciation for diversity and pluralism. This is particularly relevant in multi-cultural societies such as ours. We have to inculcate desirable social characteristics such as love for one's country, respect for authority, tolerance and adherence to the principles of democracy and respect for others. In this regard, I am pleased that we have introduced in our school's curriculum Health and Family Life Education and the Teaching of Social and Sensitive issues in the Classroom. Education would be of little value if does not result in a prosperous, peaceful and cohesive society.

My Government's recognition of the importance of providing quality education is reflected in its budgetary allocation to the sector. This year the education sector received $9.3 billion dollars, approximately 15% of the national budget. These resources are intended to improve critical areas such as teacher training, curriculum development, the acquisition of textbooks and other education supplies.

Substantial progress has been made in several critical areas. Close to three thousand teachers were added to the education system over the past seven years, thanks to an expansion and decentralization of teacher training centers in Regions 2,3,4, 6 and 10. Teacher upgrading programmes have also commenced in Regions 1, 8 and 9.

In the area of civil works, over 700 schools have been rehabilitated, extended or built anew. Six out of ten students are now learning in more conducive environment. New secondary schools have been established for the first time in interior areas such as Waramadong, Paramakatoi, Ishalton, and Annai, catering especially for Amerindian children. Substantial work is taking place in the area of curriculum development and Testing and Measurement. We are now training almost three times the number of teachers than in the past. This year alone, 509 teachers graduated from the Cyril Potter College of Education and some 1000 teachers participated in refresher courses in pedagogy at NCERD.

We have come a long way in terms of education enhancement. There is evidence to suggest that our students are doing much better today than in the past. It is quite evident that we are narrowing the performance gap that had existed between our Guyanese students and their regional counterparts. Much more however remains to be done. I am confident that with determination we will achieve our goal of having a highly educated and trained populace ready to face the challenges of this new millennium.

The PPP/Civic administration has been focusing on development of other sectors so that there will be increasing all-round benefits to the people of our country. There have been improvements in the provision of water, housing, health services and the physical infrastructure throughout the country. We have also been concentrating on the development of our human resources and the policy reforms in practically every area.

Our strategy is to increase wealth in the society and to create jobs for our people, especially those who are leaving the education system. The traditional sectors in the economy with which you are acquainted, sugar, rice, bauxite, timber and gold, are being put on a more efficient and productive footing. At the same time new areas of wealth and job creation are being encouraged. These include the development of new range of products in areas such as tourism, fisheries, manufacturing of new products by using local raw materials, and information technology.

These new areas of industry will require a highly skilled work force. The education system is key to preparing this pool of skills and students have to take into consideration this new direction in which our country is moving, when choosing a career.

Once again I wish to congratulate all those students who have excelled in their work. I want to encourage all our students to take full advantage of the expanding opportunities being made available to you. Students must take their work seriously and put in the necessary hours of hard work to be successful. Your future lies in your hand, but my government will be there to support you all the way.