Leader of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) David Granger says under an APNU government, each student of the University of Guyana (UG) will find a job within 12 months of graduating, while also reiterating his promise to make teachers the highest paid public servants.
Granger believes such initiatives will go a far way in stemming Guyana’s brain drain and general migration issues. He explained that the delivery of quality education from nursery to tertiary and to all citizens will form the central part of his policy.
The Opposition Leader was at the time meeting a section of the youth population and members of Blue CAPS on Tuesday, January 27 where he made a comprehensive presentation of his plans, once elected when Guyanese go to the polls on May 11.
“Under an APNU government teachers will be the best paid public servants,” he said, while adding that “all UG graduates are guaranteed a job under an APNU government within one year of graduating.”
Granger told those gathered that the hemorrhaging which is caused by school drop-outs and migration, is one that Guyana cannot afford. He also highlighted the problem that every year some 6000 children drop out of primary and secondary schools.
The APNU Leader acknowledged the challenge of underfunding and general lack of sufficient resources which besets the University of Guyana and he promised that he will ensure his government pumps more money into the institution and bring relief to the students who have complained of high tuition fees while making UG competitive with other universities in the region.
“It’s heartbreaking sometimes to see how Turkeyen is being treated… its either we have a good university or none at all.”
“Take a walk across to the Cyril Potter College of Education and again you will see deprivation. You cannot train teachers under those conditions and expect them to produce good students,” Granger said, while reminding that he has promised to have his government deliver one laptop to each teacher.
He made it clear that the bedrock of APNU’s policy and of his philosophy is an educated nation. He believes once the problem of education is solved countrywide it will solve the second problem of unemployment.
“This is a serious problem there are people who cannot read S-T-O-P in this country, complete illiterates. They have an ear stud and gold teeth and can’t spell.”
He said another problem is one of economic enterprise; expressing the belief that citizens need to be educated more to become entrepreneurs who will guarantee a strong, buoyant and resilient economy.
Guyanese will head to the polls on May 11, 2015. Granger has said he is confident that his party will win the presidency and when it does, he will form a government of national unity.
The Blue Caps group has been hosting conversation sessions with various political and public policy figures over the past few months.
Filed: 27th January, 2015
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