— Minister Croal tells Mahdia residents

MINISTER of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, has urged Mahdia, Region Eight residents to take advantage of the opportunity to attain tertiary education through the government’s 20,000 Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme.

GOAL is a partner-initiative between the Ministry of Education and Ministry of the Public Service, providing 85 programmes for online studies at five recognised universities.
During the launch in Mahdia on Sunday, Minister Croal stressed the importance of applying, noting that the move will chart a new course for Guyana’s future.
He also said the initiative is the realisation of the PPP/C administration’s manifesto promise to enhance education nationwide.

“Nine months into office, led by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, we are able to launch here in Mahdia, the 20,000 online scholarship programmes for all of our citizens who will be eligible to apply.”

Minister Croal said the programme caters for all Guyanese, noting that persons who do not have Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations certificates can also benefit by applying for the Bachelor Preparatory Programme.
“It now provides an avenue for wherever you live, I repeat, for wherever you live, whoever you are, it does not matter your age, it does not matter your political affiliation, it does not matter your race.

None of that is part of this motive because what this does, is that it is making available over the next five years, for 20,000 persons to benefit from an online scholarship,” he said.
Minister Croal reminded the prospective scholars that Guyana can only become competitive, and the lives of its citizens enhanced through quality education.

“Think about five years down the line, where you will have 20,000 Guyanese being able to turn up to a place to seek employment for which you have the qualification, and you are now able to do that by eliminating some of the hinderance [sic] that we may have, when we are located in the hinterland,” he said.
Additionally, the minister pleaded with residents to adhere to all the COVID-19 precautions and to get immunised against the deadly disease.

(DPI)