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29,758 GOAL scholarships granted to Guyanese

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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.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand addresses reporters at a press briefing on Friday

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

RegionNumber of scholarships receivedRegion One814Region Two2,702Region Three4,431Region Four13,002Region Five1,842Region Six2,983Region Seven918Region Eight605Region Nine700Region Ten1,761

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 LevelNumber of ScholarshipsSCQF Level 65,602GED1,312BFP1,043Certificate7,267Foundation Diploma191Undergraduate Certificate3Associate Degree865Bachelor’s6,571Postgraduate Certificate4Postgraduate Diploma920Master’s5,602PhD378

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.

Some of the individuals who graduates at the GOAL graduation in May 2024

Some of the individuals who graduate at the GROW graduation in April 2023

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