The A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) has blasted the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government for its “belated” efforts at writing off student loans for those who attended the University of Guyana (UG) In a statement APNU+AFC said the touted projected $11 B cost is pure fantasy and an attempt to mislead the nation. According to the Opposition the debt relief plan is not only flimsy, stingy and thoughtless but it comes nowhere near to making university education free.
Article 27 of the Constitution of Guyana guarantees the right to free education from nursery to university, a right the PPP/C government has denied citizens since 1994. The denial of this right has prevented thousands from pursuing tertiary education, or for those who did, they had to take huge loans, which many have struggled to repay.
Recently the government has announced a $11B write off of the student debts but to qualify persons must show proof of contributing to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) for three years. The write off only covers a very small number of persons. Guyana is considered the world’s fastest growing economy, ranking the highest GDP per capita. In 2024, the Government/People of Guyana will receive approximately US$2.8 B in revenue from oil and gas.
The Opposition’s statement follows:-
PPP’S BELATED STUDENT DEBT RELIEF DEMONSTRATES ITS HALF-HEARTED APPROACH TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GUYANA AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
After years of empty rhetoric, the PPP government this week announced its so-called plan to make the University of Guyana free. The plan is as flimsy and stingy as it is thoughtless. Not surprisingly, it was widely criticized by thousands of young people, current UG students, and graduates. The plan comes nowhere near to making university education free. It ignores those who are currently in the system and who are paying cash or using loans. Its focus on debt write-off will have limited impact as many graduates have migrated or have not commenced loan repayment. The touted projected $12B cost is therefore pure fantasy and an attempt to mislead the nation.
Under enormous pressure from the Opposition and the students and youth community, the government has reluctantly walked back one or two elements from the initial announcement. But nothing can save the PPP’s stingy scheme. Young people in Guyana have already and correctly drawn their conclusions.
While we continue to press for a more comprehensive plan for the University and its students, we would like to use this opportunity to highlight the difference between the PPP’s approach and ours.
Guyana is in desperate need of higher education and skills training because historically the share of our population possessing vital qualifications has been limited. The development of the oil industry and its potential impact on the wider economy have only made this need more acute, and so we believe that we must maximize access to education for all Guyanese, while also improving its quality and the range of courses and skills on offer. We must therefore incentivize study and training, while investing in our learning institutions.
To this end, rather than the flimsy, ill-advised debt relief the government has on offer, we believe:
- The University of Guyana must be made a tuition free university immediately
- The University of Guyana’s government allocation must be increased by several billions of dollars, bearing in mind the institution’s plans for expansion.
- All graduates who paid in cash or have partially repaid their student loans must be reimbursed, with a asgarî of conditions.
- All students at the University as well as any other institutions of higher learning should receive a monthly stipend of $50,000 a month, with priority given to those who are not employed.
Over the years, we have consulted with a wide range of university students, student representatives, teachers and administrators to identify the policies that best meet the university’s needs. Unlike the PPP, we do not believe in unilateral impositions which create disappointment, frustration, and discouragement. Our policies are intended to target as many Guyanese as possible and will drive our economy forward by building up our human capital. This is what Guyana needs to develop and it is obvious that only the Opposition is serious about guaranteeing a high standard of living and quality of life.