–Public Service Ministry aiming for regional balance

THE government’s landmark 20,000 scholarships programme has attracted almost twice the number of applications that can even be considered for this year. According to figures released by the Department of Public Information (DPI), the programme, which is being facilitated by the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), has received in excess of 8,800 applications from all across the country.

The information agency quoted Director of GOAL, Professor Jacob Opadeyi as saying that approximately 60 per cent of all the applications were submitted Online, with the majority of them understandably coming from persons residing in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), which accounted for approximately 3,400 applicants.

This was followed by Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) with 1,044 applications; Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) with 786; Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 674; Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 577; Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), 429; Region One (Barima-Waini), 300; Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), 296; Region Eight (Potaro Siparuni), 109; and Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) 110.

Professor Opadeyi reported that of all the submissions received, 80 per cent of the applicants are eligible for the programmes of their choice. It was reported, too, that the eligibility process for the scholarships will be completed by Tuesday, after which the qualified applications will be handed over to the Ministry of Public Service for further vetting and selection.

Public Service Minister, Sonia Parag told the Sunday Chronicle that once the Ministry of Education completes its process of pin-pointing those who are eligible, the selection aspect of the programme will commence; the awarding of scholarships could possibly wrap up by the end of this month, in order to facilitate the commencement of classes from July.
She explained that a team comprising four fully-qualified persons, headed by Professor Opadeyi, will be responsible for selecting the scholarship awardees.

“[The team] will determine, by various factors, who is awarded the scholarships,” Minister Parag said. She noted that the persons will be chosen, based on their ability to fulfil the criteria for the programme. “Information extracted from the application form and motivational statements will be used to determine this,” the Public Service Minister told this newspaper.
Dr. Opadeyi has explained that “there is a rubric of five conditions that must be used before you get a scholarship. One is a Grade Point Average (GPA). So, persons are ranked based on their GPA; then, we rank you based on your income. Of course, if you have a high GPA; more points. Then we rank them based on the region of origin; where they come from.”

Minister Parag indicated that the government’s aim is to ensure the fair distribution of the scholarships. “It is imperative that there is regional balance in this selection process,” the Public Service Minister posited.

Similar assurances were given by Dr. Opadeyi, who highlighted the government’s efforts at levelling the playing field by providing technical support to the regions in need. In his engagement with the DPI, he gave an example where several applicants, particularly those from Regions Seven and Eight, did not have email addresses to include in their applications.
Because emails are a critical and formal means of communication between students and the overseas-based universities to which they are becoming enrolled, efforts were put in place to ensure that email addresses were created and given to the prospective scholars.

The government’s 20,000 Online scholarship is the brainchild of President Irfaan Ali; its rolling out marks the fulfilment of campaign promises made by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), prior to the hosting of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The initiative paves the way for Guyanese learners to have access to a number of internationally-recognised institutions, such as the University of the West Indies Open Campus, the University of the Southern Caribbean, the University of Applied Sciences in Germany, as well as the Indira Gandhi National Open University, the JAIN University, and the Sherlock Institute of India.
At no cost to them, Guyanese applicants had the opportunity to choose from 104 available programmes.

As part of the GOAL platform, 20,000 Online scholarships will be awarded over the next five years; this will see at least 4,500 persons benefitting each year. Minister Parag has explained that even though there has been a healthy surplus of applications, those who were not successful this year will have to reapply in 2022.