SCORES of people turned out on Saturday at the Anna Regina Secondary School, as the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) brought its outreach exercise to Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
The activity was timely, coinciding with the opening of the GOAL portal for applications to the 2026 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
The Guyana Online Academy of Learning continues to create access to education for citizens across the country, offering fully funded opportunities provided by the Government of Guyana in partnership with several reputable international universities.
Among the courses being offered are associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programmes across multiple disciplines, including education, nursing, business, public health, logistics, and data science.
To apply, persons can visit the website https://portal.goalapplication.com. The portal was opened on November 5,2025 and closes on December 31, 2025.
Addressing the large turnout, Regional Chairman, Devin Mohan, urged persons to seize the opportunity and qualify themselves through the government’s free education programme. He emphasised that the government continues to invest heavily in education to empower its citizens, especially young people, so that they can improve their livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to national development.
Mohan noted that many people in Region Two are already enrolled in GOAL programmes and are successfully upskilling themselves. He commended the GOAL team for their guidance and continued support in helping residents achieve their academic ambitions.
Programme Manager of GOAL, Rubesh Raul Ganpat, explained that the initiative provided one-on-one guidance to applicants, ensuring that those interested in studying were properly assisted and informed about the process.
Ganpat also highlighted two important programmes — the U.S. High School Diploma and the SCQF Programme — that are designed for persons who did not attain passes in Mathematics or English. These programmes, once completed, are internationally recognised and allow students to progress to bachelor’s and later to master’s degrees.
“There is an opportunity for everyone,” Ganpat assured. “You can start from a certificate, move to a diploma, and climb the ladder to your degree.”
One of the most inspiring moments of the outreach came when Edon Singh, a differently-abled individual born without arms or legs, successfully signed up to pursue the U.S. High School Diploma. Singh expressed his joy and gratitude to the GOAL team for making such opportunities accessible, proving that education truly has no barriers.
Ganpat described the outreach as highly successful, noting that many queries were answered and several new applications were initiated on the spot. Also present at the activity were Deputy Regional Executive Officer, Omesh Sasenaryan and Head of the Education Committee of the RDC, Parmanand Singh.