–after discontinuation of IDSC, University of Staffordshire partnership, Jagdeo says

STUDENTS will be able to continue to their education seamlessly in spite of the discontinued partnership between the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) and the International School of Distance Education (ISDC) and the University of Staffordshire, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo said.

So far, 900 of the impacted 1,400 students have been contacted by the Ministry of Education (MoE), Jagdeo said during a press conference at Freedom House, on Thursday.
Jagdeo said: “They (Ministry of Education) told me that, by now, 900 of the 1,400 have been contacted, and they’ve accepted or they’re offered programmes on other courses, and they’ll keep their credit at other institutions.”
He said the 500 remaining students would soon be contacted.

The General Secretary who also serves as Guyana’s Vice-President further stated: “The affected students will retain their earned credits and will continue their education seamlessly through the new institutions.”
Also, Jagdeo defended the Director of GOAL, Professor Jacob Opadeyi and rejected disparaging remarks made against him.
The Vice-President said: “I firmly believe in Professor Opadeyi’s abilities. He has a solid academic background.”

Since its inception, the GOAL programme has awarded fully-funded scholarships to a total of 29,785 individuals to pursue higher education.
The data shared by the Ministry of Education showed that women have taken full advantage of the GOAL initiative, receiving 21,436 of the scholarships awarded, while 8,322 scholarships went to men.
The distribution of scholarships has been geographically inclusive, with awards spread across all ten administrative regions of Guyana.
Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), home to the country’s capital and largest population centre, accounted for the highest number of recipients, with 13,002 scholarships awarded. This was followed by Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) with 4,431 and Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam)

with 2,702.
The regional breakdown is as follows: Region One (Barima-Waini) – 814; Region Two – 2,702; Region Three – 4,431; Region Four- 13,002; Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) – 1,842; Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) – 2,983; Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) – 918; Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) – 605; Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) – 700; and Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice) – 1,761.
A breakdown of scholarships awarded by programme level under the GOAL programme reveals the following distribution: 5,602 scholarships were awarded at the SCQF Level Six, while 1,312 were given for the GED programme. The BFP accounted for 1,043 scholarships, and 7,267 individuals received funding for certificate programmes.

Additionally, 191 scholarships were granted for foundation diplomas, three for undergraduate certificates, and 865 for associate degree programmes.
Bachelor’s degree programmes saw 6,571 scholarships awarded, while postgraduate studies included four for postgraduate certificates, 920 for postgraduate diplomas, 5,602 for master’s degrees and 378 for PhDs.
The GOAL programme, launched in 2021, provides fully funded scholarships for Guyanese citizens to pursue online undergraduate certificate, diploma, and degree and postgraduate studies (postgraduate certificate, diploma, master’s and PhDs) in various disciplines.
The academy partners with reputable international universities to offer courses ranging from law, psychology, information technology and business management to health sciences, education, artificial intelligence (AI) and journalism and communication. The programme’s original aim was to award 20,000 scholarships to Guyanese.