The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of dedication Specialist Olato Sam who was struck by a stray bullet on the Plaisance Linetop, East Coast Demerara in the wee hours of Friday.
The Ministry of Education in a statement noted that Dr. Olato Sam who up to the time of his passing served as Education Specialist within the Ministry of Education. He also served as Chief Education Officer from 2011 to 2016.
The Honourable Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and the staff of the Ministry of Education extend sincerest condolences to Dr. Sam’s wife, family, friends, colleagues and the entire education fraternity.
During his years in the sector, Dr. Sam demonstrated success in programme management while keeping abreast of educational innovations. He was a superb team player and motivator who used a developmental approach to enhancing educational outcomes.
During his tenure as CEO, Mr. Sam provided leadership to the professional arm of the Ministry and devised education policies in collaboration with the Minister of Education, Education Officers and other stakeholders. He offered technical advice for the efficient implementation of educational policy at all learning institutions covered by the Ministry of Education and represented the Ministry’s interests in several regional and global fora.
Dr. Sam also lectured at the University of Guyana in the Masters in Education and Bachelors in Education programmes. He has served as 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; member of the CARICOM Taskforce on Teacher Education and Training and as a member of the CARICOM Task Force on the Establishment of Teaching Councils.
As Education Specialist Dr. Sam has worked on several initiatives of the Ministry of Education. Most recently, he was working on preparing a plan to address violence in schools.
