I would like to comment on the letter by Mr. Blair in the newspaper on the poor academic standards he claims exist at UG; to say that I am disappointed at his comments is to put it mildly. Mr. Blair claims that the standards at UG cannot stand up to international scrutiny. Now, I have been living abroad for the past 20 years, and cannot vouch for the veracity or lack thereof of Mr. Blair’s comments. But, being a graduate of UG, and living and teaching at the secondary and tertiary levels in the United States, I can say without any fear of contradictions that the education I received at UG can be compared with any provided by any of the most prestigious in this country. I will go so far as to say that the degree earned in many of the universities in this country and many other countries, including India, Pakistan and many European countries cannot measure up to the standard achieved by graduates of UG in my time.
I know this because I have worked and studied with graduates from many universities from across Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Europe, and I can measure up even I dare say exceed, the best of them. As an example, I passed all my teachers exams in New Jersey and New York City without any preparations or coaching. As a matter of fact, the content areas in English and Maths were below what I learned in High School in Guyana.
If what Mr. Blair is saying is indeed the truth about UG, then I am indeed very disappointed. But, on the other hand, he may just have an axe to grind!