During the parliamentary debate last week on this year's National Budget, he also said that while a large percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is spent on education, it is still not adequate to provide all the resources required to raise education standards to the desired level.

The only way more resources can be invested in education is through the growth of the economy, he added.

Budgetary allocation in terms of percentage of GDP to the education sector in Guyana is the largest in the Commonwealth Caribbean amounting to 8% of GDP, Jeffrey informed the National Assembly.

However, he observed that in real terms this amount is comparatively small because of the size of the GDP and it is a considerable task to overcome the difficulties and deficiencies in the education sector.

He pointed out that while per capita income doubled since 1992, standing now at US$850, this is small when compared to Trinidad and Barbados with US$5,000 and US$8,000, respectively.

With limited resources much has been achieved, but much more needs to be done, Jeffrey remarked.

He noted that from 1992 to the present time, teachers' salaries grew by 550% while cumulative inflation for the same period was 100%, with the minimum salary increasing from $3,100 to $20,103 per month and a head teacher who was earning $12,000 in 1992 now earns $94,000. A teacher out from Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) now earns $38,400, a trained graduate gets $53,000 and a trained graduate $59,325 monthly, the minister pointed out, noting that the salary of a graduate who enters the Public Service is $35,000 a month.

The long-term plan, he reported, is to bring teachers' salaries to 80% of what the private sector pays for comparable positions.

He added that more than 500 teachers graduated from CPCE last year.

CXC passes Grades1-3 increased from 47.5% to 57.3%, the minister pointed out but acknowledged that much more improvement is necessary.

He, however, observed that detractors are saying that too much emphasis is being placed on rehabilitation and building of schools, yet complain that sufficient work is not being done to repair schools.

Touching on some of the difficulties and challenges confronting the education system, he cited too many school dropouts, loss of trained teachers, curricula not aligned to modern development, equitable access to education and the preparation of people for life through learning.

Under the 2003-2007 Strategic Plan for education which seeks to eliminate illiteracy and nurture modernisation of the education system, those difficulties and challenges will be addressed, Jeffrey pointed out. They are grouped into different categories including quality, equity, diversity, ethnicity and human resources.

The plan seeks to achieve its objectives by improving school management, encouraging moral and financial support through greater de-centralisation and community participation in the managing of schools. In this regard a Diploma in School Management which is being offered through Distance Education will become a compulsory requirement for all head teachers, he said.

Another initiative will also be launched within the education sector to develop a sustainable cadre of skilled personnel.

Under this scheme all secondary school students will pursue a one-year technically oriented certificate course. This certificate will replace the Secondary School Proficiency Examination (SSPE) and would enhance the employment opportunities of students on leaving school, the Education Minister said.

The school will not be closed to the community and will be flexibly fashioned to meet the community needs through participatory and democratic methods.

"We are seeking to give back the schools to their communities," Jeffrey emphasised.

An important component of the programme to enhance the education system will be the implementation of the Basic Education Administration and Management of Schools (BEAMS) project, he said.

BEAMS comprises three components: school performance, organisation and human resources and infrastructure and will be implemented in two phases.

The first phase being implemented from this year will focus on improving school performance and the development of early mastery of literacy and numeracy skills.