–calls out Norton for disparaging 39,000 Guyanese graduates

OPPOSITION Leader Aubrey Norton’s recent attempt to belittle 39,000 Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) Guyanese scholars was branded as disrespectful by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo at his Thursday press conference.

Norton took aim at the GOAL programme, calling it “goalless”, and questioning its efficacy, even as Guyanese students toiled and studied to achieve higher education.

Dr. Jagdeo said: “This is the leader of the opposition talking about 39,000 persons in Guyana who are studying under this programme.”

Norton scoffed at the number of candidates who graduated with PhDs through the GOAL programme, effectively trivialising the hard work of Guyanese students.

Over 70 per cent of the graduates are women. The scholarship programme is giving people, both young and old, the chance to earn degrees, master’s, and even PhDs from international universities, without leaving their homes and at no cost to them.

Norton, in a braggadocio manner, boasted at his recent rally that he did his master’s abroad, causing Dr. Jagdeo to observe that this does not translate into his leadership abilities, especially given the current trajectory of the party.

From communities in Region One (Barima-Waini) to those in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), thousands of Guyanese have been, and are being equipped with the qualifications and skills needed for the country’s growth. The numbers show the scale of a G$12.5 billion investment so far, or about G$312,000 per student.

The PPP/C’s record of delivery is in sharp contrast to the APNU and the Alliance For Change (AFC) opposition, who are now promising free education, despite failing to implement it during their time in office.

In fact, under the former coalition government, tuition fees were increased, and VAT was placed on private education.

The government continues to invest where it matters, and this includes incorporating every segment of the population.

In some ways, Norton sought to insinuate that Guyanese are illiterate as a result of the current government.

However, the numbers and facts tell a different story.

The Ministry of Education has indicated that reading literacy indicates that 98 per cent of young women (aged 15-24) and 97.7 per cent of men, respectively, are literate. Based on statistics recorded by the education ministry and the MICS 2014 Report.

The education sector has consistently rolled out plans to promote literacy and develop reading among children, like the Primary School Libraries Programme.

Additionally, the Education Sector Plan (2021-2025) is another example of a policy document that outlines comprehensive goals that focus on teacher training, early reading interventions, and multilingual education programming.