Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has responded to Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton’s characterization of the government’s plan for free university education as a mere “political gimmick.” Norton’s remarks came in the wake of President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s announcement outlining the government’s commitment to gradually introduce free education at the University of Guyana, a pledge outlined in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) manifesto.
Dr. Jagdeo disagreed with Norton’s stance and pointedly reminded him that it was the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) that raised fees at UG during their tenure.
“We’re a political party; we make promises to the people. You can’t blame us for fulfilling our promises that we made… by calling it a political gimmick. We don’t see it as a gimmick; we made a promise,” expressed the vice president during a press conference held at the Office of the President on Thursday.
Dr. Jagdeo clarified that the government had committed to achieving free university education within five years and is working towards this goal through a phased approach. The initial focus will be on addressing the needs of existing loan students, with the government actively developing clear and consistent rules applicable to everyone.
“Effectively, we’re already doing free education from now because we’re planning to write off what you have to pay. Effectively, we’re doing that, and Norton is saying we’re not doing it fast enough,” added the vice president.
The administration has also launched the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) program, a manifestation of yet another promise from the party’s manifesto. This initiative involves collaboration with renowned universities worldwide to offer courses tailored to meet Guyana’s specific needs. Since its launch in 2021, 20,000 scholarships have been awarded, demonstrating the government’s commitment to fulfilling its pledges.
