– calls for wide-ranging measures to support youth development

THE University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) has formally said that it supports the growing movement to make education at the tertiary institution free of cost, as it also called for several measures to support youth development.

“Given that Article 27 of the Guyana Constitution states: “Every citizen has the right to a free education from nursery to university as well as at non-formal places where opportunities are provided for free education and training”, it is our belief that UG should be tuition free,” a statement from the UGSS, provided by its President Devta Ramroop.

According to the student society that represents more than 7000 students across its two campuses, making UG free could remedy many of the nation’s problems. Moreover, it opined that this move could potentially help to increase the number of students that possess a Bachelor’s Degree, which currently stands at 2.3 per cent, according to the Bureau of Statistics

“We are ready to propose systems that can support Free UG,” the society stated.

The support indicated was part of a wide-ranging statement crafted by the UGSS, a democratic body of representatives elected by the students of the institution.

“The aim of this paper is to inform and influence decision makers, particularly those crafting their manifestos in political parties, about some issues affecting our young people,” the UGSS explained. “We do believe that tackling these issues can regain the confidence of youth in the Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and remove the apathy in political and civic engagement.”

The body called for university branches to be set up in Linden and Essequibo and provide the same services as the centralized Georgetown branch.

“Education should be accessible in most sections of the country,” the body reasoned. Furthermore, it said that facilities should be provided for students with disabilities and youths, and there should be more opportunities to students inland to pursue their education.

It was requested that there be patrol by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) at the back entrance of UG’s Turkeyen campus; this comes at the heels of security threats made to the institution in recent months.

Additional and improved dorm facilities for students, was another request.

The incorporation of a curriculum that would prepare young people “for life and the real world of work”, is another request the body deemed “vital for young people’s growth and development”.

It also indicated that career advice and guidance offices be set up in institutions to assist undecided youths. And it stressed that counsellors should be placed in all Government institutions to ensure good mental health of youths.

Greater attention and funding should be given towards the development of youth sports and arts, according to the body also.

The UGSS also proposed that voter registration should be done in tertiary education institutions to facilitate and encourage the inclusion of youths during elections, and that youth representation in Parliament and control of the youth budget should be youth led.

“We believe that young people should be consulted in order to feed their views of National matters of importance and close the generation gap existing between youths and current policy makers,” the body said too.

Also geared at fostering youth development, the body called for: greater opportunities to foster entrepreneurship; internships; a larger youth budget; and strategies and working plans to combat youth unemployment.

It highlighted that more attention should be paid to eliminating child labor especially, in rural areas, and in curbing cyber-bullying by extending security services to social media.

Aside from the measures detailed to directly foster youth development, the body also called for: attention to be placed on unregistered businesses and businesses that do not pay employees’ tax; a raise of salaries for public servants particularly the disciplined forces; equal maternity and paternity leave of absence- as was suggested in the recent Women and Gender Equality Commission (WGEC) report; the implementation of a “carbon tax” on businesses, and focus on using renewable energy sources.

“We also advocate for constitutional reform that is necessary as our country grows and develops from the Guyana we once lived in, to [the] ‘Oil and Gas’ Guyana,” the body said.