Dear Editor,

WHEN we examine how the pandemic has changed our country, one of the things that stands out is the fact that our education systems have become more technologically inclined. While this may be out of the ordinary, especially for students in Guyana, it forces us all to embrace technology in this modern epoch. That definitely is not a bad thing. At the same time, COVID-19 has resulted in many individuals, including our young people, being out of a job. The question we must ask ourselves as a society is what we are doing to keep our young people meaningfully engaged and motivated. I believe that the PPP/C Government thought along these lines, even as they were campaigning for the 2020 local and regional elections. The reason why I hold such a view is that amidst the pandemic, they have managed to swiftly provide Guyanese with access to thousands of scholarships from countless universities around the world. The best part about this is that the scholarships are being offered Online.

At the start of the pandemic, I wondered about the severity of the effects on the education system in Guyana. Being an educator for over 15 years, I recognised that certain systems were rigid in terms of education delivery. However, I was hopeful that in some way, changes could be made. I casually examined the manifestos of the contesting parties at the 2020 elections, and, not surprisingly, I saw a clearly defined commitment to improving the education system in Guyana. This was in the PPP/C’s manifesto. The Government committed to providing 20,000 scholarships to Guyanese within their first term in office upon their reelection. His Excellency, President Irfaan Ali also committed to building a knowledge-based society, while diversifying and building Guyana’s economy into a more resilient, multi-dimensional one. The fact that the government has already managed to provide Guyanese with access to thousands of scholarships in a matter of months since they took office is an indication of their efforts to fulfill their commitment as outlined in their manifesto. Such efforts must be applauded.

In addition, it is no doubt that the way in which the government is going about the scholarship programme is the right one. I examined the list of scholarships that were published, and I was very happy to see transparency in the way they were presented. This is commendable on the part of the Ministry of Public Service, as interested persons can clearly see the prerequisites for each area of study, without being confused as to their eligibility.
The previous administration did not approach their scholarship initiative in this regard. In fact, there was minimal public knowledge on scholarships being offered to Guyanese as far as I am aware. However, I am glad to see that we are on the right track, and that the PPP/C Government is showing steadfast commitment towards improving the education system in Guyana, even amidst the pandemic. Guyanese will no doubt benefit from a host of advantages from these scholarships, and it only reiterates the President’s position of empowering Guyanese to benefit fully from the country’s development.

Respectfully,

Pastor Darion Comacho