–internet access in area to be assessed

ON Monday, three of the country’s “leading ladies” journeyed to Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), where they executed a comprehensive outreach geared mainly at promoting the government’s “20,000 scholarship” initiative.

The team, led by First Lady Arya Ali, comprised Public Service Minister Sonia Parag and Education Minister, Priya Manickchand.
A packed day of fruitful engagements commenced in the morning hours at the Mibicuri Secondary School in Black Bush Polder. There, Minister Parag outlined the concept behind the establishment of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).

She explained that GOAL is a platform established by the Ministry of Education to facilitate regional and international scholarships offered by the Government of Guyana, through the Public Services Ministry.

“We have five universities at the moment with which the Guyana Online Academy of Learning is working, and that would be the Jain University in India; we have the Indira Gandhi University in India; we have the University of Southern Caribbean; we have the University of Germany and we also have the University of the West Indies,” Minister Parag said.
She said that the scholarships cater for a plethora of intriguing programmes, ranging from certificate courses, diplomas, post-graduate diplomas, master degrees, and even academic doctorates.
“What is even more attractive is that the government is paying fully for this, and for you to achieve this. It has absolutely no upward age limit, and you are not bonded to the government, so you really cannot find a package that is more attractive anyplace else,” Parag posited.

In emphasizing the importance of education, the Public Service Minister implored those present at the engagement to take advantage of the opportunities to qualify themselves for free.
She said that the Ministry of Education is responsible for the technical aspect of GOAL, while the Public Service Ministry has the responsibility of awarding the scholarships.
During the engagement, teams from both ministries partnered to help with the crafting and submission of scholarship applications, as well as to address queries related to the initiative.

INTERNET ACCESS
The forum also addressed the issue of connectivity, and Minister Manickchand informed persons that a technical team has already been mobilised and will soon be deployed to assess the internet access of the communities within Black Bush Polder

“I don’t know what is required to bring strong, reliable and cheap internet…what we do know (is that) the First Lady, her office has begun to work with private providers to come in and assess what’s happening to decide how this can be done, whether it can be done, and on what scale it can be done. And that assessment is going to happen before the end of next week,” Manickchand noted.

She urged residents to not allow internet challenges to prevent them from applying for the scholarships, since the programmes do not require a 24-hour online presence.
“We have designed this programme knowing fully well that all over this country, particularly in the hinterland and riverine communities, you do not have reliable internet services. You don’t need strong and permanent internet to do the work this programme needs,” the Education Minister noted.

She said that even though the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten global human development, Guyana will not be left behind, and will continue to push for progress.
She said that the establishment of the GOAL platform is a clear indication of the government’s commitment to the elevation of all Guyanese, regardless of their political persuasion, gender, geography, or any other difference.

“20,000 persons (In Guyana) will get the opportunity to learn, while countries are closing their universities,” Manickchand posited.
She also referenced her ministry’s efforts in successfully executing the ‘Coursera initiative’ which saw in excess of 54,000 certificates being awarded to Guyanese learners. These certificates, Manickchand reminded, were issued by reputable universities all across the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

With that certificate arrangement coming to an end, the government has launched an even more substantial programme, in the form of GOAL.

Minister Manickchand related that persons who do not qualify for the GOAL programmes can capitalise on the opportunity to undertake ‘upgrade’ courses, which make them eligible.
Assurance was also given that the GOAL will be in existence for the next five years to facilitate continued learning opportunities for Guyanese.