Coursera not interested in party votes – Dr Anthony rejects calls to reopen Bertram Collins College

– as Opposition stews over Govt-Coursera partnership

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has dismissed renewed calls from Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Coretta McDonald to reopen the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service, describing her criticism of the Government’s partnership with Coursera as politically driven and out of touch with modern educational needs. Dr Anthony, responding to McDonald’s statements, said the Opposition’s defence of the former training institute reflects “a nostalgic but misleading attempt” to revive an institution that was never designed to meet the demands of a contemporary public service. The College, located at Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), was opened in 2016 under the former coalition Administration to train persons desirous of entering the public service. According to the Minister, the Bertram Collins College, established under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Administration, functioned less as an academic institution and more as a politically aligned programme intended to shape party loyalty. “It was not a bastion of excellence,” Dr Anthony said. “It was a political institution… more a factory for ideological conditioning than a centre of professional training.”

In contrast, he emphasised, the Government’s partnership with Coursera provides world-class, non-partisan educational opportunities. The online learning platform works with leading global universities including Yale, Stanford, Johns Hopkins and Imperial College London, offering thousands of accredited courses across multiple disciplines. “Coursera is not interested in which party you vote for,” Dr Anthony said. “Its only focus is empowering learners with knowledge, skills and opportunities — and that is exactly the kind of transformative access our country needs.” The Minister argued that McDonald’s critique ignores the realities of a modern public service and the scale of training required in a rapidly developing country. He noted that while the Bertram Collins College trained relatively small cohorts, the Coursera initiative is designed to offer upskilling to as many as 27,000 public servants in a single year. Dr Anthony outlined several advantages of the Coursera programme, including nationwide accessibility, globally recognised content, and the ability to upscale training at unprecedented levels. He said this aligns with Guyana’s broader goals for digital readiness, professional development and national competitiveness. Responding to the Opposition’s claim that the online platform “produces users, not public servants,” the Minister argued that such a view is both inaccurate and outdated.
“Coursera produces empowered, critical thinkers — people ready to serve with modern skills and global awareness,” he said. “Guyana does not need institutions built to reinforce party loyalty. It needs innovation and systems that prepare citizens for life and work in the 21st century.” Dr Anthony maintained that the Government’s focus is on future-oriented education initiatives that expand opportunity, rather than reviving institutions “rooted firmly in the past.”
“Education must evolve, or it will fail,” he said. “Bertram Collins belonged to another era. Coursera is a tool for the future — and Guyana must build for that future together.”