and Highlights Education Achievements
Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to prioritizing the education sector, announcing plans to introduce a student transportation grant initiative in the upcoming term. This initiative aims to alleviate the financial burden on parents, ensuring that children can attend school without transportation issues.
“We’ve already made university education free and other tertiary education free, we’re paying for the exams, and now we’re going to assist with transportation for children through a grant in the next term,” Jagdeo stated during a press conference on Thursday.
His comments came in the wake of exceptional results from this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), which recorded an overall pass rate of 63%, the highest in the country’s history. Jagdeo attributed this success to the government’s significant investments in education, which have increased from $53 billion to $185 billion over the past five years. He also highlighted the hiring of approximately 3,000 teachers during this period.
Jagdeo congratulated the students, especially Ms. Tanasha Mayers from the Academy of Excellence, who achieved a perfect score. He emphasized the importance of recognizing all pupils for their efforts, stating, “I don’t want people to see those kids who did not do well as failures. This exam is just an exam; in the future, all kids will have the opportunity to write CXC.”
The Vice President noted improvements in secondary education, mentioning that the upgrading of secondary schools has facilitated more students progressing to the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. He pointed out that historically, 65% of students placed in community high schools did not complete their secondary education, but this trend is changing as the government works towards achieving universal secondary education.
In addition to the transportation grant, Jagdeo announced that the government will cover the costs for each student to write eight subjects at CSEC. He praised teachers and education professionals for their dedication, stating, “We need as a country to appreciate all of the efforts that were made to achieve this level of success.”
Looking ahead, Jagdeo shared plans for further investments in education if re-elected on September 1. “We’re looking forward to the introduction of the digital school, using international resources, online tools, and artificial intelligence to tailor individualized training programs,” he affirmed.
The government’s ongoing commitment to education aims to create more opportunities for all children in Guyana to succeed.
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