Govt will continue to invest heavily in youth to prevent neglect, marginalisation

…Pres Ali says Guyana refuses to be a statistic; vows no young person will be left behind

President Dr Irfaan Ali declared that Guyana will not allow its youth to fall through the cracks of neglect, marginalisation or underinvestment, vowing a future where no young person is left behind. Citing global statistics, the Head of State explained that as of 2023, an estimated 250 million school-age children—nearly 16.1 per cent globally—were out of school, with the crisis deepening among adolescents. Of that number, 14 per cent of youths aged 12 to 14 and a staggering 30 per cent of those aged 15 to 17 were not enrolled, underscoring the significance of the educational strides being made locally.
Against this backdrop, President Ali described secondary education as “no longer a luxury, but a necessity”—a vital bridge that prepares students for citizenship, higher education, entrepreneurship, and economic independence.
“Just take those numbers in for a moment and that would allow us to appreciate what we’re building here. That will allow us to be grateful that our nation can give us what we are achieving here today. These are not just numbers. They are futures at risk. Potential wasted. Hope deferred. We in Guyana refuse to be part of these statistics. We will not allow our young people to fall into the cracks of neglect and under-investment,” President Ali said. The Guyanese leader affirmed his Government’s unwavering commitment to achieving universal secondary education, highlighting that the Guyana Digital School will not only cater for development of Guyanese students but the Caribbean at large.
“And we said that our prosperity must lead to regional prosperity. That is why the Guyana Digital School that we are launching will also be available and accessible to every single child in the Caribbean. We want them to be part of it. We want all of the region to rise with us”.
“A great future awaits you in Guyana. But don’t wait for it to come to you. The opportunities will not fall into your lap. You must reach. You must rise. And you must prepare yourselves. Seize the moment for in your hands rests not just your own destiny, but a destiny of our nation. You’re not just being given access alone. You’re being given excellence. This Government is not simply building schools. It is fashioning a world-class education system so that you can be the best you can be,” he added.
Since assuming office in August 2024, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration has been implementing a sleuth of relief measures including those promised in its 2020 Manifesto as well as new initiatives that have been critical to cushioning the rising cost of living. This, according to President Ali, is unlike what played out during the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition’s term in office which was characterised by broken and unfulfilled promises coupled with the imposition of hardships – all of which the current administration has worked to reserve over the years.

CSEC, CAPE subsidy
Back in April, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that the Government of Guyana will fully fund the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) fees for at least eight Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects per student, as well as fees for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), benefiting both public and private school learners across the country. The announcement was made during a public meeting at the West Demerara Secondary School, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) where the Head of State addressed a packed audience of students, parents, and teachers. Prior to the President’s announcement, the Government provided subsidies for students in the public education sector writing CSEC. The subsidies were determined based on the financial position of parents/guardians.
Targeting students in Grades 11 through 13 at Government secondary schools, the subsidy structure covered up to 10 subjects and extends support to both new and continuing students, including special provisions for trained teachers pursuing exams.
In a circular seen by this publication through the Ministry of Education, parents or guardians pay between $10,000 and $23,000 based on their annual income in subsidies. Notably, trained teachers with more than three years of experience also qualify for a flat rate of $17,000 in support.

Free tertiary education
The Government’s policy of providing free university education will be fully implemented from the 2025/2026 academic year at the University of Guyana (UG).
This means that all tuition fees for diploma, bachelor’s, master’s, and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes will be waived for both new and continuing students.
In excess of 11,000 current students of UG are set to benefit from this measure along with all future entrants. The initiative which follows a commitment by President Dr Irfaan Ali and Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo to make tertiary education more accessible to all Guyanese, particularly those from low- and middle-income households, will cost the treasury some $18 billion. The measure took effect from January 1, 2025, and is seen as a transformative step toward building a highly skilled, inclusive, and resilient workforce.

Applications open
UG has begun accepting applications for the 2025/2026 academic year from April 1, 2025, and the process will close on May 16, 2025. All prospective students are encouraged to submit their applications early, as quotas for popular programmes fill up quickly, UG said on Tuesday, adding that it is currently processing an average of 1,200 applications per week. This is just one of a series of measures announced by President Dr Irfaan Ali to enhance access to education, particularly in bridging the gap between the hinterland and coastland. Free tuition is also applicable to all Government technical and vocational institutions, including the Linden Technical Institute (LTI), Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI), and Berbice Technical Institute (BTI).

GOAL scholarship
A total of 2000 persons graduated from the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) Scholarships Programme this year, Postgraduate Diplomas, Bachelor’s Degree, GROW and Certificate Programmes, and among them is a total of 580 graduates who received master’s degree. In its 2020 manifesto, the PPP/C Administration had promised to provide Guyanese with 20,000 online scholarships- that number has already surpassed over 39,000 scholarships to date.
Of the 39,000 graduates, some 5,602 Guyanese, including teachers have achieved master’s degrees and 378 have earned PhDs through the Government’s GOAL initiative, marking a major milestone in the professional development of educators and the enhancement of the nation’s professional workforce.
Back in January, Education Minister Priya Manickchand during the Ministry’s End- of- Year press conference stated that “814 from Region One who otherwise could not have access to a foreign university to be able to study for their degrees and master’s and PhDs. 2,702 from Region Two, 4,431 from Region Three, 13,002 from Regions Four and One. 842 from Region Five, Two,983 from Region Six, 918 from Region Seven, 605 from Region Eight, 700 from Region Nine and 1,761 from Region 10…. We are not people who find reasons why things can’t happen. We try to make sure we give opportunities and, of course, people have to avail themselves of those opportunities,” she went on to state.
Based on statistics provided by GOAL, scholarships to individuals from the ten administrative regions continues to increase yearly, with 6,280 scholarships awarded in 2021, 7,410 in 2022, 7,752 in 2023 and a massive 8,316 in 2024.
Notably, 5,602 earned SCQF Level Six certificates, 1,312 copped General Educational Development (GEDs), 191 earned Foundation Diplomas, 3 for Undergraduate Certificate, 856 for Associate Degrees, 6,571 copped Bachelor’s, four for Postgraduate Certificate and 920 persons earned Postgraduate Diplomas.