Guyana’s prominent educator and former Chief Education Officer, Dr. Olato Sam has been shot and killed.
The incident has been confirmed by the Ministry of Education.
In a statement, the ministry said that Dr. Sam, a respected figure in education, served the Ministry of Education as an Education Specialist at the time of his untimely death.
Reaction from the education community
In the wake of this shocking incident, the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, along with the entire Ministry of Education are mourning the loss and are extending heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, friends, and colleagues.
“He was working on several things but particularly a holistic national plan for addressing violence in schools is what he was finalizing to present again to me,” Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said in a statement posted on her Facebook page.
According to reports, it is believed that Dr. Sam was hit by a stray bullet during a fight at the Plaisance Railway Embankment (Line Top), East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Reports are that he was in the company of friends when the incident took place, following which he was quickly transported to Georgetown Public Hospital.
He was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Dr. Sam’s contributions to education
Dr Sam’s previous roles included a tenure as Chief Education Officer from 2011 to 2016.
In addition to his key roles within the Ministry of Education, Dr. Sam lectured at the University of Guyana in the Masters and Bachelors of Education programs.
The statement from the Education ministry stated that he held various prestigious roles such as the chairman of the Guyana School of Agriculture; Commissioner on the Teaching Service Commission, Guyana; a member of the Caribbean Examinations Council’s Final Awards Committee; Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Cyril Potter College of Education; and member of the CARICOM Taskforce on Teacher Education and Training and the CARICOM Task Force on the Establishment of Teaching Councils.
Dr. Sam was recognized for his commitment to educational innovations and program management. As a stellar team player and motivator, he utilized a developmental approach to improving educational outcomes.
He was instrumental in shaping education policies in partnership with the Minister of Education, Education Officers, and other stakeholders, contributing his technical expertise to policy implementation across learning institutions.
Moreover, he championed the Ministry’s interests in multiple regional and global platforms. His loss is indeed a significant setback for the educational community.
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