The government has exceeded its commitment by awarding 29,758 scholarships to Guyanese citizens through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) initiative since it took office.
The amount surpasses the initial pledge of 20,000 scholarships outlined in the PPP/C’s manifesto within its first five years in office.
The Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, revealed this significant achievement during the ministry’s year-end press briefing on Friday, at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) in Georgetown.
The GOAL programme has enabled Guyanese to pursue a wide range of academic courses at foreign universities at no cost, including degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral studies, and postgraduate diplomas.
“We are not people who find reasons why things can’t happen. We try to make sure that we give opportunities and of course, people have to avail themselves of those opportunities,” Minister Manickchand stated.
Number of scholarships granted by regions
| Region | Number of scholarships received |
| Region One | 814 |
| Region Two | 2,702 |
| Region Three | 4,431 |
| Region Four | 13,002 |
| Region Five | 1,842 |
| Region Six | 2,983 |
| Region Seven | 918 |
| Region Eight | 605 |
| Region Nine | 700 |
| Region Ten | 1,761 |
A total of 21,436 of the scholarship awardees are women while 8,322 were granted to males.
Number of scholarships awarded by programme-level
| Programme Level | Number of Scholarships |
| SCQF Level 6 | 5,602 |
| GED | 1,312 |
| BFP | 1,043 |
| Certificate | 7,267 |
| Foundation Diploma | 191 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 3 |
| Associate Degree | 865 |
| Bachelor’s | 6,571 |
| Postgraduate Certificate | 4 |
| Postgraduate Diploma | 920 |
| Master’s | 5,602 |
| PhD | 378 |
The GOAL programme is a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Education and Public Service.
Apart from the GOAL initiative, the Get Ready for Opportunities to Grow (GROW) is another impactful programme of the government.
GROW has empowered 6,914 young people to date.
Minister Manickchand explained that “these are people who were unable to finish high school for whatever reason or weren’t successful at high school. The programme was introduced for you to get high school level qualifications.”
Participants who attained Level 6 Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) or the General Educational Development (GED) diplomas can apply at a tertiary institution to advance their skills.
The education minister revealed that 80 per cent of the individuals who finished this programme are now pursuing a degree programme at foreign universities.
