…it was never stolen by PPP/C, says the Dean of UG’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology

Kofi Dalrymple, Dean of the University of Guyana’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology, has refuted the claim that free education was “stolen” and is now being restored.
In a post on his Facebook page, he wrote: “In the 70s and 80s, Guyana faced a severe economic downturn, leading to IMF-imposed austerity measures under President Hoyte’s Economic Recovery Program (ERP).

“These measures aimed to stabilize the economy and reduce debt but ultimately led to the discontinuation of free education. When the government changed in 1992 under Dr. Jagan—who originally founded UG in 1963—these measures remained in place and tuition-free education at UG eventually ended in 1994.

“So, free education wasn’t stolen; it was an economic casualty. Good governance and economic stability are key to making such rights sustainable.”
In a post on his Facebook page, the Dean wrote that free education is a positive right, meaning it depends on the government’s ability to provide it.

He explained that unlike negative rights–such as free speech, which only require government restraint–state-provided benefits like education and healthcare are subject to economic conditions.

The delivery of free tertiary education has been a hallmark of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Manifesto. The government has begun phase one of the debt write-off process.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, during his presentation of Budget 2025 to the National Assembly, indicated, that, at that time, some $1.8 billion in loans have been written off for over 2,700 persons.

“In 2024, we also announced that UG will be tuition-free from January 2025. This will benefit in excess of 11,000 current students and all new students. This will relieve students of having to bear the cost of university education at UG, whether by way of cash or student loan,” he said.

As such, reflecting the abolition of tuition fees some $13.4 billion is allocated in this year’s budget to finance UG’s operations.