Guinea-Bissau Prime Minister Geraldo Martins is asking parents and guardians to send their children, especially girls, to school and vowing to implement policies to raise awareness and encourage people to attend school.
The goal was outlined in an interview with Lusa on the occasion of the 100 days of the PAI-Terra Ranca government, which took place in the gardens of the largest national high school of Guinea-Bissau, in the capital of the country, the place where the Prime Minister chose for this interview.
Geraldo Martins attended this public high school, later graduating in physics, chemistry and law and becoming a senior official at the World Bank, and was also Minister of Economy and Finance, and took on the role of science and technology in previous governments.
In the areas of the government program he now heads, Geraldo Martins reserves for education the construction of more schools, the reduction of interruptions in learning by integrating different cycles in schools, the training of more teachers and policies to increase awareness among parents. and guardians of education, especially to enable girls to go to school.
More than two-thirds of children in Guinea-Bissau do not receive a basic education, and women suffer the most from illiteracy, which affects about 70% of adults.
The Prime Minister wants to change the current state of affairs and says that “there are some programs that already exist that help in this regard,” such as the school canteen program, which not only provides meals to students, but also ensures gender issues. girls so they can go to school.
“We know that there are several restrictions, there are several obstacles, even from a sociological point of view, that prevent children, especially girls, from going to school,” he admitted.
The Prime Minister said “there is a problem with the supply of part-time schools” which “only offer up to fourth grade, or there are schools that offer up to sixth grade and then there is no continuation.”
“There is a gap in schools, there is a need to invest in this aspect in terms of supply, there is a need to train more teachers,” he stressed, pointing to “the efforts that have been made in recent years in terms of expanding teacher training.” potential, but also deconcentration of educational institutions.”
Shortcomings also exist at the level of higher education in Guinea-Bissau.
Amilcar Cabral University is the only public university in the country that is not operational.
The Prime Minister explained that this government has inherited a “somewhat difficult situation”, but assured that it is “intervening”, specifying that it has already appointed a governing body and is “creating the conditions for the gradual start of classes”.
There are also “debt situations,” especially among contract teachers, which the executive director is “working on to be able to resolve them so that contract teachers from Amilcar Cabral University can begin teaching.”
The situation at the university came to the fore after the student association called for the rector’s resignation in 2022, blaming him for poor management, delays in faculty recruitment and the start of the academic year.
“I’m not here to lament the situation we inherited. As they say, governance is about continuity, but the truth is that we have inherited an extremely difficult situation in terms of public finances and there are many priorities, many problems and challenges. Almost all these problems must be solved simultaneously,” the Prime Minister said.
The government took power on August 13 and is the result of a new composition of the National People’s Assembly, in which 102 deputies represent nine parties.
MADEM-G15, the party of Republic President Oumaro Sissoko Embalo, is the only opposition as everyone else supports the majority coalition ruling Guinea-Bissau, led by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and the Cape. Green (PAIGC).
The coalition elected 54 deputies from PAIGC, the Union of Change (UM), the Party of Democratic Convergence (PCD), the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Guinea Democratic Movement (ODM).
These five parties were later joined, through a parliamentary advocacy agreement, by the Social Renewal Party (PRS) with 12 deputies, the Workers’ Party of Guinea (PTG) with five deputies and one elected member of the APU-PDGB.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.