–President Ali says, raises concerns over growing disengagement of young men from the formal education system
–highlights need for coordinated action among education system, social services, judiciary

THE growing disengagement of boys and young men from the formal education system in Guyana is becoming alarming, President, Dr Irfaan Ali has said.
Speaking at the 2026 Senior Prison Officers’ Conference on Monday, President Ali underscored the need for early intervention to tackle the root causes of crime and social instability.
He highlighted, too, the government’s ongoing efforts through the Men on Mission (MoM) initiative to confront deep-seated social vulnerabilities affecting boys and young men across Guyana.
“We have started this model in Guyana with a Men on Mission programme, because we recognise that we have some vulnerability… and there is still some amount of dropouts in [sic] school; at-risk communities; broken homes; persons growing up and living in trauma; lack of positive role models; heavy influence in some communities from gang leaders and drug lords, who find themselves becoming the role models for those communities; stigma and barriers that are attributed to certain communities,” he said.
The President highlighted that challenges such as school dropouts; unstable home environments; exposure to trauma and the absence of positive male role models at the community level, continue to place many young people at risk.
In vulnerable communities, the influence of gang leaders and drug traffickers has, in some instances, supplanted constructive guidance, shaping attitudes and behaviours among impressionable youth.
“If crime is normalised, that is going to be a learned behaviour; if violence is normalised, that is going to be a learned behaviour,” the President said, adding: “So, when we launched Men on Mission, the focus was, how do we address these issues before they become a problem? We launched the Men on Mission, so that those men who are part of that positive orientation, they can lead.”
The President further stressed that strengthening collaboration among the education system, social services and the justice sector will be critical in tackling these challenges from the root cause.
“Many young people today, you speak to them today, they don’t have the confidence. They don’t have the confidence, because it has been eroded systemically, and we have to address it,” he said, adding: “We have to address it because it is going to become a major challenge for us. We have to get back our boys and men in universities and schools… while we celebrate, 70 per cent of graduates from universities are women. The question is, where are our men?”
Initiated in 2022 by Dr Ali, MoM stands as a pioneering endeavour focused on reintegrating men into society by furnishing them with essential skills crucial for the labour market.
The MoM also aims to equip men in society to deal with complex problems, inclusive of violence against women and children, while helping to bridge the existing gaps, including the need to advance themselves in education.
Earlier this year, the National Assembly approved $900 million for the Men on Mission initiative to support workshops, community meetings and efforts to improve living conditions through better housing.