In McCoy’s letter ‘Ali’s vision versus Norton’s farces, Guyanese are the best to Judge,’ published November 23, he states “the hopes of its citizens to benefit from free university education by 2025 would be dashed against the exorbitant fees the APNU+AFC introduced and planned to keep increasing.”
What the Minister is saying here, says Dr. Vincent Adams, is that the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) was responsible for introducing university fees and plans to keep increasing those fees, and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) would be undoing this in 2025, when it was the PPP/C who imposed fees 30-years ago.
Addressing McCoy’s ‘forgetfulness’ the AFC said it appears he either has a fondness for flouting the truth or lacking intellectual curiosity to ascertain knowledge of a subject matter before indulging in mindless utterances.
Article 27 in the Constitution of Guyana protects the right to free education from nursery to university as well as non-informal places where opportunities are provided for education and training.
Noting McCoy’s attempt to cast aspersion on Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Aubrey Norton, to exalt the PPPC’s plan to have free education in 2025, the AFC drew attention to 2nd August 2019, Guyana Chronicle. Carried in the papers on that date are statements by President David Granger, and both APNU and AFC to reintroduce free education from nursery to university should the coalition return to government in 2020, and the commitment to use oil money to fund the programme.
Additionally, the AFC said, in its 26th January 2019 statement, at the conclusion of the National Executive Council Meeting “the party also unanimously approved a motion to unequivocally support free education from nursery to university” consistent with the Constitution of Guyana.
So, the shameless attempt by the Minister to fool the Guyanese people has been thrown flat on its face by these historical facts which irrefutably show that it was the PNC that introduced free education in 1976, and it was the PPPC that dismantled it in 1992 as soon as the PPPC came into office, the AFC reminds.
“Also, it is crystal clear that it is the APNU and AFC which have always been committed to free education starting in 2020, way ahead of the PPPC promise of 2025.”
That aside, the AFC calls on the PPPC Government, in the strongest way possible, to follow the APNU+AFC long-standing commitment to Guyanese, by undoing the PPPC’s unmerciful 30-year old imposed hardship of student fees, and implement free education from nursery to University, RIGHT NOW! and not 2025, as bandied by the Government.
“We have the money which belongs to the people and must be spent for their benefits and not for the few friends and families of the Government.
“It is indisputable that education is the foundation of the successful development of any country, and the number one investment attractiveness of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). Guyana’s oil may only last for about 20 to 25 years more, so investment in education must be the highest priority RIGHT NOW! (NOT 2025) to attract those FDIs for a sustainable economy after oil is gone.”
The AFC is therefore calling on the PPPC Government to make education free from nursery through university, RIGHT NOW! Not 2025.
