Latest update January 30th, 2025 6:10 AM
Latest News
Govt. spending billions on education but there is no value for money – Coretta McDonald
Kaieteur News- Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) and General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) Coretta McDonald on Tuesday said that the government has been spending billions in the education sector but there is still no value for money.
The Opposition MP made these remarks during her contribution to the 2025 budget debates which are being held at the National Assembly.
McDonald said the education sector, “is in such a mess” and that the lavish spending does not address the many challenges.
Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) and General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) Coretta McDonald (Govt. spending billions)
“When you look at pages 52 Section B to page 57 (The Budget Speech), we see the problem, and that is why the sector is in such a mess. In this budget, Sir, the cash is being splashed, but there is no indication of whether the investments over the past years have delivered expected outcomes. A billion here and a billion there, a school here and a school there, sir, but there is no holistic evaluation of what occurs after the school is opened,” McDonald argued.
She stated that the budget once again confirmed to teachers that their work is not valued. She explained that with monies allocated to improve and enhance schools, classrooms, yet teachers and learners still continue to face hardship.
“As I speak, sir, teachers are working in horrible conditions all across this country. And we’ve seen it. We’ve heard of it. The pigeons at several schools, the conditions in Bush Lot Secondary where a beam fell on a parent, the pit latrines. Sir, in this day, we are still having our children in crowded classrooms. In this day, sir, we are still having teachers who cannot have access to learning materials in order to perform their task,” the MP said providing examples.
She continued: “Sir, teachers have to perform in classrooms with mosquitoes buzzing around their ears, sir, teachers have to spend extra money to purchase insect repellents. Sir, teachers are in classrooms risking their lives every day, opening the doors of a draw with a snake inside. Sir, if you were to visit some of these schools, you would be appalled at what is happening.”
McDonald told the House that the country’s education sector is “in serious trouble”.
“Sir, I cannot support this budget allocation as it stands in an economy undergoing unprecedented transformation,” she added while noting that the 2025 budget represents a failure to protect workers, ensure safe workplaces, “failure to account accuracy to the people of Guyana, a failure to our children, a failure to secure and sustain”.
Meanwhile, in her presentation to the National Assembly, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand who defended her sector and partly boasted of her government’s achievements not only in the education, but other sectors.
She said that the budgetary allocations being made by her government since taking office in 2020 addressed and continues to address the many challenges that her party met.
(Govt. spending billions on education but there is no value for money – Coretta McDonald)
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The third parties will not survive this year’s elections
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The fate of third parties in this year’s general and regional elections is as predictable... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
