40 Reg 2 students to now pursue UG courses at ETI

Forty students from Region Two, who were unable to secure placement at the University of Guyana (UG), will soon have the opportunity to pursue studies in engineering and medical sciences, as the Government moves to accommodate overflow applicants through the Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI).

Education Minister Sonia Parag, during a visit to the ETI in Region Two to assess the readiness of its Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) facilities, announced that at least 40 students from the region who were left without spaces at UG will be accommodated at the institute under a new initiative introduced by President Irfaan Ali. “We are here looking at the physical layout of the Technical Institute to see where we can have space to accommodate the students who have applied to the University of Guyana for engineering, as well as medical sciences, and have not been admitted to UG because of space. So we’re looking specifically at Region Two, Region Three, Region Six, and later Region Nine, to be able to accommodate the spillovers,” Minister Parag explained. Minister Sonia Parag also referred to the unprecedented surge in applications to UG following the Government’s decision to make tuition free. She highlighted that the influx of applicants exceeded the university’s capacity, leaving many students without placement. “It was overwhelming at that time, unexpected as well, because of the number of persons applying. We are looking at making sure that everyone is included, that they have a space, that they can achieve their dreams. Creating that space in other areas, especially closer to home for these densely populated areas, will work well. This was an in-the-moment decision made by His Excellency; an excellent one.” Meanwhile, Minister Parag explained that the move was an immediate initiative by President Ali following the influx of applications after UG was made tuition-free under his leadership, adding that the additional spaces are expected to be available by the second week of October. “We have this mandate to have those seats become available by the second week of October, so that students can be in a classroom setting, be in a lab setting, and pursue the particular programme in engineering or medical sciences. It’s really a great initiative, and we are going to ensure that that mandate is carried out,” she said. UG’s Dean and Advisor in the Education Ministry with Responsibility for Tertiary Education Reform, Dr Kofi Dalrymple, highlighted the challenges students in Region Two typically face when pursuing higher education outside of their community. This, he said, often leads to students dropping out of programmes due to the difficulty of travel.

On that note, Dr Dalrymple added that President Ali’s initiative is aimed at reducing those barriers by bringing access to education closer to home, ensuring that more students can complete their studies successfully. He stated that many students are forced to travel long distances, often crossing rivers or bridges, just to attend classes. “If you talk to some students who live in this region, whether they’re teachers or have family here, it’s not easy to jump on a boat, drive from Parika, cross the bridge, and get all the way to Turkeyen. It’s quite difficult dealing with students every day. This is an issue. Many of them discontinue their programme for some reason because it’s difficult. I think the President’s initiative is to impact that, to give those students easy access to education. There are a lot of great things going on in this region,” Dr Dalrymple said. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining high standards in engineering programmes while expanding access.
“We have to make sure that the engineering programmes at the University are going toward accreditation, which sets a standard for engineering education. We want to ensure that the facility, staff and setup at the Technical Institute can meet those standards. The second priority is access. For students in this region, travelling to UG is challenging, and this initiative is designed to provide them easier access to education.”