Gov’t looking to subsidise internet cost for GOAL scholars – Vice President

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday, said the government is looking to subsidise internet cost for recipients of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarships.

The Vice President made the announcement while engaging a number of GOAL scholars in the auditorium of the Anna Regina Secondary School, Region Two.

“We can assist all of the GOAL scholarship students with paying for the cost, not the full cost, part of it for bandwidth. We are trying to improve access to the internet across the country, so that when you have an instrument, you can have interactive programmes and its reliable,” Dr. Jagdeo asserted.

He stated that Guyana’s education system continues to evolve and it is important for internet providers to upgrade their services to match the online operations.

Government is currently in talks with an internet provider to provide quality internet services at affordable rates along the Essequibo coast.

“So, today I just wanted to have this opportunity to listen to you more to get a feed back from you whether we are doing the right thing and how we can improve on these programmes, so that when we get to the other batches, how we can make the way smoother,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Vice President has instructed for a permanent telephone number to be established and readily available to provide information to students when necessary.

Additionally, he clarified that the main purpose of the training is not to have persons confined to Guyana, but for citizens to be equipped with adequate knowledge and skills, that allow them to earn for themselves and family.

Government’s delivery of the 20,000 online scholarships is the fulfilment of a manifesto commitment, to ensure quality education is distributed equally nationwide.

The initiative also ensures persons without a Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) certificate benefit from higher education.

Also present at the meeting were Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand M.P; Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, M.P; Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, M.P and other officials.

The Vice President is on a two-day outreach in the region.