– more than the PPP ever did

Dear Editor,
73% CSEC passes in 2019 was not as a result of a magic wand, but it was careful implementation of President Granger’s 5 Bs initiative. His Excellency and his administration have made education a top priority and have spent between 8 to 20 billion dollars more in the education system than the PPP. The APNU+AFC government spent 40.3 billion in 2016, 43.1 billion in 2017, 45.1 billion in 2018, and 52.2 billion in 2019.

The Government’s 5 B’s initiative began as soon as the APNU+AFC government took office in 2015. The village of Moraikobai, situated up the Mahaicony River, Mahaica-Berbice (Region Five), was given a 42 seater boat in November 2015. At the commissioning ceremony for the boat, the President recalled that three women including Deputy Toshao from the village visited him at the Ministry of the Presidency, where they advised that students travelled as much as 100 miles to get to the Central Mahaicony Secondary School. The children were forced to pay as much as $3000 per day to travel out of the village to attend school. As a result school dropouts and absenteeism was on the rise. The President who has made education a top priority expedited the process of acquiring the boat so that the burden of children travelling to and from school could be alleviated in that area.
In Region six, there are currently three David Granger buses in operation; one on the East Bank Berbice from Kortbradt – New Amsterdam, Central Corentyne from Rose Hall Town – Number 51 Village and Upper Corentyne from Number 51 Village – Corriverton. The East Bank route transports an average of 180 persons per day. Families are able to save an average of $10,000.00 per month, $120,000.00 yearly per child.

The President and his government created the 5Bs program which after about one year changed to the 6 Bs programme (Public Education Transportation System – PETS).  Their goals -were to reduce poverty, reduce inequality and provide buses, boats, bicycles, books, breakfast and bags for all school children.  Students have since been able to get to and from school in a timely manner and parents are no longer burdened with transportation costs of boats and buses. Every Primary school student receives free breakfast. As at 2018 the government has thus far commissioned 29 buses across the country, along with 10 boats and 1400 of bicycles, books, bags and breakfast every day for primary school students. The David Granger-led coalition government’s vision is that all of Guyana’s schoolchildren begin to benefit in every way, and from all the programs initiated by His Excellency; and for the country to produce the most brilliant minds in the Caribbean. It is notable that in just over four years we have recorded over 73% passes at CSEC-the highest in the Caribbean for 2019.

PPP/C parliamentarians have lamented that, President Granger removed the $10,000.00 cash grant from school children. Every time this statement is made, it evokes laughter as I wonder if the economist and Doctor of doom, Bharrat Jagdeo didn’t explain to his followers that a $10,000.00 one off payment, which was nothing but a political gimmick cannot be compared to school children receiving free breakfast every day, a free bicycle, a free school bag, free books, and free ride to school on the David G school buses and boats. Education was obviously not a priority for the puppet-master and de facto Presidential candidate Jagdeo; and the PPP who focused on building the fortified walls of Pradoville and enriching themselves and their chosen few. We can safely conclude that the one-off $10,000.00 uniform voucher that Priya Manichand distributed in 2014, less than a year before the 2015 election was just a rather convenient window dressing spectacle and another PPPC pathetic attempt to purchase votes. Now the PPP is promising an education cash grant of $50,000.00 a year. The economist Jagdeo still has not enlightened his followers that $50,000.00 per year, still cannot achieve for each student what President Granger has achieved under the 6Bs initiative. We the Guyanese people are not easily bamboozled sir!
The APNU+AFC Government has delivered more to Guyana’s education sector that the PPP ever did. Thousands of children and families continue to benefit from the government’s 6Bs initiative. The 6Bs program has been delivered to all students regardless of ethnicity and party affiliation. All students are benefiting from better opportunities for achieving a brighter future under the APNU+AFC Coalition government.

Regards,
Gregory Fraser