Thousands of Guyanese, Caribbean students already ‘attending’ Guyana Digital School

Last Updated on Saturday, 6 December 2025, 2:22 by Writer

More than 20,000 students from Guyana and other Caribbean countries are already attending the Guyana Digital School which was officially launched on Friday and touted as a means of offering equitable access to education.

Minister of Education, Sonia Parag said 20,368 students from Grades 10 and 11 across Guyana and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) were enrolled on the platform. She said the programme would expand from Grades 7 to 9 by early 2026.

President Irfaan Ali said the Guyana Digital School would also assist Caribbean countries to resume classes in the shortest possible time after electricity and communication services are restored after natural disasters. “For region that is susceptible to so many natural disasters…and once those two things are back up, education is back up with the digital school so when we talk about the future of the region, we are examining this,” he said.

The education minister also said the virtual school facilitates visual and practical learning, reinforcement after class and desires to move ahead of other students. She said the digital platform, which includes aspects of artificial intelligence (AI), complements physical in-person classes with interactive online classes.

“Let me be very clear that this is not an abandonment of the traditional school methodology, as some may have suggested. It is the strengthening of it. It introduces new avenues for learning so that no child falls behind because of distance, circumstance or pace,” she said.

Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, in a message praised Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali for his “bold and innovative vision that seeks to put in the hands of all our Caribbean children the opportunity to learn.”

Belize also expressed a willingness to link the Guyana Digital School with the digital system in that Central American nation.

Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell said in his message that his country would participate in the platform. “I have already instructed the Minister of Education to make sure that we are an active part of this” and he was optimistic that it would transform the delivery of education in CARICOM.

Ms Parag said the platform is backed by trained educators, a rich library of on-demand digital resources, programmes that build wider skills beyond the curriculum and practical projects that help students apply what they learn. “The Guyana Digital School is grounded in a holistic four-quadrant approach that blends technology, content, engagement and hands-on experience into one cohesive model of learning,” she said.

The school’s library would also include textbooks for CXC and CSEC subjects.

Ms Parag said the digital school cuts across geographical boundaries to offer students opportunities to learn. “The Digital School recognises the geography of our country and ensures that a child in a riverain village receives the same levels of instruction as a child in Georgetown or Anna Regina. That is what true access means,” she said.

Similarly, President Ali said the digital school, as a hub, would close the digital divide across the Caribbean.

The Minister of Education said the Guyana Digital School is a “resilient, flexible partner” that would aid parents and teachers in delivering education in times of uncertainty such as had been the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said until now, the education system across Guyana was still feeling the effects of learning loss.

President Ali said the initiative is not only about education but about breaking down cultural norms, beliefs and modes of dress.

He said the platform would allow students from across Guyana and the Caribbean to conduct experiments and share experiences. “This is our hope that the Guyana Digital School will uplift the lives of children across the CARICOM region in a positive way every single day,” he said.

He said the school would be preparing students for the digital era of data and algorithms across several sectors such as transportation, finance, public services, secured platforms, health and education, among other areas.

Dr Ali congratulated former education minister Priya Manickchand and her team for delivering education digitally during COVID-19, though many teachers were untrained in that regard, parents were uncomfortable and internet was unavailable.