Low production levels fuel poverty --Prime Minister Hinds by Sharon Lall Guyana Chronicle September 4, 1999 PRIME Minister Sam Hinds recently agreed that the cries about poverty and low standards of living must be recognised as being primarily cries about low levels of production. It is, therefore, critical for Guyana to achieve the highest possible rates of sustained growth, fast enough to keep ahead of the rising expectations of those who are stricken with poverty, he said. Delivering the keynote address at the second National Conference on Distance Education, held at Le Meridien Pegasus, in Georgetown, on Wednesday, the Prime Minister noted that poverty is overcome when the poor become more productive. At the caucus, which had broad participation from persons in the local and overseas education sector, the guest speaker said poverty is also about being excluded from the flows of trade which "make the rich rich", having a mediocre understanding of society and the world, and low rates of satisfaction in social interactions. "We must provide our people with modules of education and training, enabling (them) to take the next step upwards from the position at which they are, whatever the level of their reading, writing and arithmetic, whatever the employment. The task is not to disparage but to match speeds and "shepherd" them along", Prime Minister Hinds pointed out. He said these are the problems for which education and, in particular distance education, can serve as a remedy. "Distance methods may well be used in schools or universities to meet shortages in staff and experience. I hope that our academics and all involved in education keep their minds open to new methods, new programmes, allowing even some that appear to be far-fetched to be put to the test, then join in rigorous, but fair, appraisal." The Prime Minister reiterated that education and training are needed for helping the unemployed to become employable or to gain self-employment skills that are relevant to Guyana's current social and economic situation. "...We need also, simultaneously, education and training for life and living," he added. The Prime Minister said he thinks the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and institutions such as the local Institute of Continuing and Distance Education (ICDC) may well become the way for education in the future. "The methods of distance education may become more the standard method of the future. Our growing standard of living is based on each of us becoming more and more productive - finding ways somehow to multiply the output of what we do," the Prime Minister offered. A © page from: Guyana: Land of Six Peoples