The last report of the director of primary instruction in British
Guiana outlines a new regulation for the common schools. In many of
its parts it includes novel measures of school organization which
are of interest as suggestions to other South American States for
similar action. The regulations relate to the classification of
schools, the minimum period of attendance, the age limit of pupils,
the occupations of pupils after leaving school, school gardens, etc.
As an instance of its stringent character, the regulation decrees
that when any school ceases to conform to certain conditions with
regard to building, installation, equipment, and health conditions, it
shall be classified in B category; and if within 6 months it has not
satisfied the requirements of the regulation, the authorities shall
suspend the Government aid hitherto granted. It is to be noted that the
primary schools of British Guiana are not directly administered by the
authorities.
The school also loses its governmental aid if within two consecutive
years it does not maintain a fixed minimum attendance, which varies
according to the population of the locality in which it is situated. In
return special aids are offered for schools that teach gardening for
boys and the care of smaller children for girls from 12 to 14 years.
The greatest educational need of the colony is the establishment of
technical primary schools for the instruction of boys and girls from
11 to 15 years. It is projected to establish two such schools in
Georgetown in which there shall be taught, in addition to manual arts
and other craft, drawing in all its branches, arithmetic and geography
as related to commerce, the rudiments of experimental science,
shorthand, and business correspondence. Criticism has been directed
against the omission of instruction in agriculture, which is admitted
to be the most necessary branch in the colony. It is, however, intended
to impart agricultural instruction in special schools to be established.
Because of the fact that the majority of the pupils leave school before
reaching 12 years, it is not possible to put into practice suggested
plans of giving them preoccupational instruction in which they might
be making a start before the end of their primary-school studies. On
the other hand the traditional primary school is not adequate to give
direction toward a vocational subject. Hence, to the regret of the
authorities, attempts to link the primary school with the occupation of
the pupil have been abandoned.
Much interest has been developed in school gardening; and about 100
gardens are annexed to primary schools, affording practical instruction
to pupils in agriculture and horticulture. The Government has also
established 8 model gardens, where instruction is given the pupils of
neighboring schools.