Dear Editor,
The recent report on the expansion of the Family Awareness, Consciousness, Togetherness (FACT) after-school science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program is a useful reminder that national development begins long before a young person enters the workforce.
The program, supported by ExxonMobil Guyana, reportedly reaches children from underserved communities and is placing greater emphasis on mathematics, robotics and information technology. These are exactly the kinds of areas where early exposure can make a meaningful difference.
As a country, we often speak about the jobs that will come from oil and gas, infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture, health care and technology. But children cannot simply walk into those opportunities when they become adults if the foundation was never properly laid.
Many students still struggle with basic numeracy, confidence in science subjects, and access to practical learning tools. For children in lower-income communities, the gap can be even wider. They may not have access to extra lessons, devices, robotics clubs, or adults around them who can explain how these subjects connect to real careers.
This is why after-school STEM support matters. It gives students more than content. It gives them exposure, confidence and a better sense of possibility.
Of course, no external program can replace the responsibility of the formal school system. We still need stronger classroom teaching, better attendance, improved literacy and numeracy, and more support for teachers. But targeted programs can help strengthen the wider learning environment, especially when they reach students who may otherwise be left behind.
Guyana’s transformation will not be sustained by natural resources alone. It will depend on whether our children are prepared to think critically, solve problems and adapt to a more technical world.
Investing in STEM education is therefore not charity. It is preparation.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Marcia Reynolds
