Inmates and officers accommodated at the various Prison locations will now be exposed to the Caribbean Secondary Entrance Certificate (CSEC) examinations, as the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) continue its mandate of fostering inmates’ rehabilitation through the professional development and intramural programmes. So said the GPS in a statement on its social media platform.
The CSEC programme, which was officially launched on Thursday by the Ministry of Education will focus on five subject areas mainly: Mathematics, English ‘A’, Social Studies, Human and Social Biology and Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM).
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Acting Deputy Director of Prisons, Kevin Pilgrim noted that the CSEC programme aligns with the Guyana Prison Service’s mandate of equipping inmates with both technical and vocational skills to facilitate their reintegration into society.
“The basic philosophy of this approach is that all persons deserve access to higher education, and one’s incarceration status should not be an obstacle to that opportunity.
The CXC programme fully aligned with the service’s strategic vision of preparing inmates for the smooth reintegration into society,” Mr. Pilgrim said.
Pilgrim provided assurance the “Prison Service is committed to providing opportunities designed to address different aspects of an offender’s life to reduce the likelihood of reoffending and to promote successful reintegration into society”.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the Ministry of Education, Volika Jaikishun said that the initiative is a huge step in the Ministry’s efforts to equalize the delivery of education.
“We want the incarcerated persons to have equal opportunities as other persons from the outside,” Jaikishun noted.
Meanwhile, an Effective Communication and Public Speaking Programme was also launched for officers. That programme will be facilitated by Clarke’s Productions.