The Government of Guyana will offer unlimited scholarships to Guyanese over the next five years as part of a broader push to expand and improve access to quality education, Minister of Education Sonia Parag has announced.
“It is now, in the next five years, going to be unlimited scholarships to Guyanese… which is a fantastic thing,” Parag said on Monday at a conference on quality assurance in higher education held at the Regency Suites in Georgetown.
The Minister highlighted the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) as a transformative initiative that has supported more than 40,000 Guyanese at various levels of study over the past five years, alongside the government’s provision of free tertiary education locally.
However, Parag made clear that the focus going forward will shift from access alone to quality. “The next five years will be based on quality and improving quality in the education sector,” she said.
The conference brought together educators, policymakers and stakeholders to discuss initiatives needed to ensure that tertiary institutions across Guyana deliver high standards of education. Key topics included the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the education sector and the programmes needed to support the country’s long-term development.
A significant milestone at the event was the launch of the Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education (CANQATE) Guyana Chapter, a body expected to support capacity-building efforts and help local educational institutions maintain the high standards the government is pursuing.
