Family and education
Regardless of ethnic origin, the family is the main focus of Guyanese social life, and very often, the family is large! Women tend to give birth relatively young and the institution of marriage remains socially central. In addition, many communities have a gendered division of labor, although this is slowly changing. While the traditional family structure persists, it is becoming more modern.
As for education, the school system is the same as in metropolitan France, but some problems specific to the department arise. Many non-French-speaking students and those from an oral culture face academic difficulties, as the public authorities take little account of local specificities. In 2014, 77,650 students were enrolled in primary and secondary schools, and although conditions and the level of qualifications have improved, many young people (9,000 between the ages of 18 and 24 in 2014) continue to find themselves outside the school system without any diploma. To offset this movement of massive deschooling, succeeding the academy of the Antilles and Guyana, the University of Guyana was created in 2014. In general, the number of staff has increased significantly over the past ten years, but this is still insufficient. The Guiana agreement signed in 2017 called for the construction of five new high schools and colleges in 5 years (an investment of 250 million euros) to meet the needs of the growing school population.A relaxed pace of life, difficult conditions
As French Guiana is close to the Equator, the rhythm of the days is constant all year round: the sun rises and sets early (around 6:30 pm). In the mornings, children start their school day at 7:30 am and, as long as they are not at school, the afternoons are free and often devoted to sports or relaxation. Traffic jams - which are becoming more and more numerous around Cayenne - are made and broken according to school and market hours. Practiced throughout the territory, the siesta is a sacred activity in French Guiana: from 2 to 4 pm, time passes calmly, in hammocks or in front of the small screen. Then life takes its course: we then take advantage of the proximity of the beach or a cove to walk, run, swim or fish. During the week, life is relatively calm in the evenings, unlike at the weekend! Generally speaking in French Guiana, you learn very quickly to live slowly. Don't be offended if your appointment is late, there is this famous Guyanese quarter of an hour for good!
However, this rather relaxed pace of life should not hide the daily difficulties that Guyanese people face. Life in French Guiana is expensive, mainly because of the price of fuel and food largely imported from mainland France. Prices in supermarkets are very high and those in grocery stores, which are generally run by Chinese, differ only slightly. Therefore, preference is given to local and market products in order to obtain them at a good price. In terms of employment, 19% of the population in French Guyana is unemployed and particularly affects those under 25 years of age, who represent almost half of the population. It should also be noted that, because it belongs to France, French Guiana is a gateway to the European Union for the surrounding countries, attracting a population with even more difficult living conditions. Moreover, insecurity and the lack of infrastructure led the Guyanese to go on general strike in March and April 2017.
