‘GOAL can position you on the highway to a secure future’ – Min. McCoy

-over 140 Kuru Kururu residents apply

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Hon. Kwame McCoy says the Government’s 20,000 online scholarships programme can position Guyanese to secure a brighter future.

Minister McCoy, who was accompanied by Parliamentary Secretary, Hon. Sarah Brown, engaged residents on the programme, which is administered through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).

Over 140 residents applied for scholarships during the engagement on Friday at the Kuru Kururu Primary School.

Minister McCoy said the scholarships are the realisation of the Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali-led Government’s vision to build a knowledge-based society that could readily capitalise on opportunities to advance themselves and the nation.

“More of those persons who can utilise the opportunity to serve their country, who would utilise the opportunity of an education of furthering their studies, to make a difference in Guyana and that is the goal of GOAL,” Minister McCoy said.

The Minister said the idea of the scholarships emerged while the People’s Progressive Party/Civic was in Opposition, and was examining initiatives to provide education for the nation.  As such, he noted that the Government is fulfilling a promise to the nation made on the hustings in 2020.

“If we invest in our boys and girls, if we invest in our workers, if we invest in people, making them much more educated and qualified in jobs and positions, it means that we will be actually boosting the performance of the country, and the performance of the country will bring us greater earnings and revenues,” he said.

Minister McCoy also pointed out that persons without secondary education can also apply. There are several programmes being offered that do not require these qualifications and those persons interested in pursuing other programmes can do so after successfully completing the Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme.

“There are programmes designed to get you to your dream, or to help you achieve your dream because they don’t call for any qualifications necessary. And there are programmes that can help you to upgrade. You start the programme and you pass, you will upgrade and you move on…

So, the President has repeatedly indicated that the intention of his Government is to pursue programmes and initiatives that will all be aimed at empowering Guyanese.”

Minister McCoy said it is vital for Guyanese to seize the opportunity for a scholarship now.

“We must always be thankful and grateful that here in Guyana, you have a Government that can embark on such a massive, massive undertaking. It costs us. It’s free to you, but it costs us.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Brown said the GOAL initiative is timely and the online method of delivery is in keeping with the adjustments in education due to the pandemic.

“We too have to be able to keep up with innovative and other ways of bringing education. Education is very important, learning is important, and we cannot afford to be left behind because if we choose to do that, it means that we are starved, we are starving our young minds especially, of what is out there for them.”

Residents of Kuru Kururu also praised the Government for affording Guyanese the opportunity to learn from international universities.

Ms. Nikitta Edwards told DPI that she would be taking advantage of the initiative.

“I think that is a betterment because I’m young; I’m 17-years-old, lately write CXC. I think is a great opportunity for us as GOAL come about now… We can have more upgrading than just sit down with our CXC subject… We could like, you know, go to our Bachelor, we can get our Master’s, but from just getting out from our CXC subjects.”

Mr. Dillion Roberts who is interested in programmes in Industrial Engineering and Management said such an opportunity should not be wasted. He encouraged young persons to apply for the scholarships.

“Scholarships would have been awarded before, but to this magnitude, no. So, as a young man growing up, it is really a great initiative I must say and I encourage most young people to just fill up the form, and you know make use of this initiative.

Don’t let it slip you by because you will have an opportunity to give back to your community when you would have acquired the knowledge gained from whatever field of study that you will embark on. You will have an opportunity to come back to your community and give back your expertise,” he said.

Mr. Reiaz Drepaul said, “I think it’s a great initiative by the Government of Guyana and I’ll be looking forward to taking the best opportunity from this initiative, and make the best out of it.”

The scholarships are a joint initiative of the Education and Public Service Ministries. They are being administered by GOAL and offers Guyanese 20,000 online scholarships in five years with 104 courses from six international universities.