THE bias of Capitol News persists.  This is clearly seen in their coverage of Education Minister, Shaik Baksh’s address on the Government’s commitment to improving the University of Guyana. Capitol News carried only selective segments of the minister’s address. In his address, the minister emphasized the need for UG to review its strategic plan, and reconsider the courses they offer as they relate to the functional needs of Guyana and the job market. According to Minister Baksh, the high proportion of social sciences students formally registered at UG floods Guyana with skills that cannot be effectively exploited, since this country does not have the absorptive capacity for such.

To counter this, he called on UG officials to ensure that the nature of courses offered by the university, be balanced and in keeping with the country’s needs. These courses, he said, should be more science and information technology related.

The minister also stressed that government’s monetary commitment to UG in highlighting the 8% increase in the university’s budgetary allocation from 2010 to 2011. UG received $1.1 Billion in 2010 and $1.218 Billion in 2011. A very short part of his address also dealt with the importation of Maths and Science teachers.

Capitol News however, aired only coverage of the importation of teachers which the minister expended very little time on. While it was good of them to provide some coverage of this address, what they aired only highlighted the negative aspects of the address, giving viewers only a grim impression of Guyana’s education system and the government’s interests in its affairs. The Capitol News must impartially honour their responsibility as carriers of the news to the people, and not let their own personal interests hinder this process.