APNU manifesto’s plans for education follow path PPP started – Educator Mischka White

Educator Mischka White, Principal of the School of the Nations and candidate on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) List, says that while opposition party A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has highlighted education as a key pillar in its manifesto, many of its proposals mirror the groundwork already laid by the incumbent Government.
Among the APNU manifesto promises is the provisions of a $50,000 monthly stipend for each post-secondary school student. However, the PPP/C has promised to increase the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant for schoolchildren to $100,000 while introducing a new children’s transportation of $100,000, this means that every schoolchild will benefit from a minimum of $200,000 per year – a policy expected to inject $40 billion annually into households across Guyana.
Speaking on the Starting Point podcast, White noted that the strides made in the education sector over the last three and a half years set the foundation for what she describes as “true transformation.”
White pointed to the construction of 157 schools since 2020, with six to seven of those being primary institutions and the significant rise in teacher training. According to her, 98 per cent of teachers along the coast are now trained, while the hinterland boasts an 86 per cent rate.
“When you look at the manifesto for the PPP for 2025, and you look at the manifesto from 2020, most of the things that APNU is bringing in their manifesto is already in progress right now in Guyana”.
“So, access to education, it’s easier now because there are more schools, particularly in the hinterland region. And that’s the part where I am so excited about, because typically when we think of Guyana, everyone thinks of Georgetown and when you go beyond Georgetown, you think of the coast. But that’s a very minor aspect as to Guyana. So, the attention that is being placed to education and not only education, but everything in the hinterland regions, speaks about the equality in the education sector that the PPP Government is bringing. And you see them doing that now in terms of the schools, the trainings and resources that are available. So regardless of where you are in Guyana in this time, you have access to the same quality of education,” White said.
Further, White highlighted the PPP/C’s Guyana Digital School as a game-changer, offering multiple modes of online learning, from structured interactive classes to flexible self-paced modules with access to assessments and advanced resources for students eager to excel.
The digital school, soon to be launched, aims to provide every child in Guyana with free access to quality education from nursery to Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level, aligning with both the local curriculum and international standards such as the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).
A key goal of the digital school is to bridge the educational gap between students in urban centres and those in remote areas. White argued that the transformation of Guyana’s education system is central to the country’s overall development, particularly as the economy diversifies in the coming decade.
“The Guyana Digital School is making it even more exciting, because that platform gives you four avenues. The first avenue is you would like to have a structured interactive class. It’s there for you. I can’t make seven o’clock in the evening to do math, so I take option two, self-pace. I can do it at two in the morning. The house is quiet. That’s when I work. You know, you have resources. You have the assessments. I want to go further in this subject. It is there for you. So, the programme that the PPP has planned is designed to take Guyana forward more than 10 years. And education is critical to everything that we want for our economy, because we’re speaking to the youth. And it’s not just primary and secondary. It goes all the way down to nursery, very very important. The changes to the nursery curriculum will have children reading faster,” she added.
Since 2020, Government has injected almost $600 billion into Guyana’s education sector. In fact, under the PPP/C Govt has built and/or is in the process of completing 44 secondary schools countrywide. Currently, forty-two secondary schools are being built nationwide, of which 24 are located in the hinterland regions. From September 2023 up to mid-2025, the Ministry of Education commissioned six new or significantly reconstructed secondary schools nationwide.
This is apart from the six new primary schools commissioned between 2020 and 2025, a period which saw over 25 primary schools being upgraded.
Over the past five years, under the administration of President Irfaan Ali, Guyana has recorded significant progress in the education sector. Key initiatives include the “Because We Care” cash grants and uniform allowances; tax relief for parents; nationwide school feeding and breakfast programmes; the expansion of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in education through smart classrooms; and the provision of free textbooks, calculators and examination materials for all students.
Additionally, the Government now covers the cost of Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and CAPE fees; has expanded teacher training through the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE); introduced Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) programmes in secondary schools; established new Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) facilities; and launched the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme. An Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced digital school initiative is also slated for rollout in the near future. There is also community school bus support and planned transport grants for students. Over the past five years, the Because We Care Cash Grant and Uniform Allowance were reinstated and significantly expanded after being cut under the previous APNU-led Administration.
Additionally, from this year, parents can claim $10,000 monthly tax deduction per child – aggregating to $120,000 annually – deepening financial relief for approximately 205,000 families.