The role of the Minister of Education in any country is to steward the nation’s future by ensuring that every child receives a quality education. But in Guyana, under Minister Priya Manickchand, the Ministry has instead become a cauldron of political mudslinging, deflection, and outright hostility whenever legitimate questions arise about how taxpayers’ money is being spent. The latest debacle surrounding the abrupt closure of Queen’s College without prior notice epitomizes the failures of leadership, transparency, and accountability in Guyana’s education sector.
This is not the first time the Minister has dismissed legitimate concerns with venomous rhetoric and political posturing. Instead of addressing the serious allegations of mismanagement and conflicts of interest surrounding the rebuilding of Queen’s College, she has doubled down with a toxic cocktail of arrogance and condescension. The emergency works were reportedly identified as necessary as far back as 2021, yet the closure was handled with no foresight or planning—leaving students, parents, and educators scrambling. For a minister who claims to prioritize children’s safety and education, such reckless disregard for communication and preparation speaks volumes.
Minister Manickchand defends the appointment of Marcel Gaskin, the Chairman of the Queen’s College Board of Governors, as the designer and supervisor of the project, claiming that his status as an alumnus and professional makes him uniquely qualified. This might sound reasonable until one considers the glaring conflict of interest inherent in a board chair simultaneously being paid to oversee the project. The Minister’s casual dismissal of this issue reveals a troubling lack of commitment to ethical governance.
Her justification—”Who can you get more invested in a project like this than him?”—is a hollow excuse when taxpayers’ dollars are at stake. Is no one else in the private sector qualified to design and supervise this work? Are there no independent professionals capable of bringing objectivity and transparency to such an important project? The Minister’s defensive rhetoric is an insult to Guyanese taxpayers, who deserve better than this slapdash approach to education infrastructure.
Failures in the Education Sector
The Minister’s track record in education is littered with failures that paint a grim picture of Guyana’s future:
- Poor Academic Performance: Despite the country’s growing oil wealth, Guyana’s education system continues to lag behind regional and global standards. Students consistently underperform in international assessments, and dropout rates remain high in rural and interior regions.
- Infrastructure Deficiencies: The tragic Mahdia fire highlighted years of neglect, with reports of unsafe conditions ignored until disaster struck. Queen’s College now seems poised to join this growing list of preventable emergencies.
- Teacher Shortages: Across Guyana, schools suffer from chronic teacher shortages, particularly in core subjects like Math, English, and Science. Instead of addressing these systemic issues, the Ministry seems more focused on political point-scoring.
Rather than offering solutions, Minister Manickchand’s responses are characterized by personal attacks and political jabs. Her fixation on the “Granger faction” and opposition parties is a desperate attempt to deflect from her own department’s failures. Calling concerned citizens and stakeholders liars and opportunists not only demeans the office she holds but also alienates the very people she is supposed to serve.
Respected voices like Dawn Cush, who resigned from the Queen’s College Board of Governors after 30 years of service, have raised serious concerns about the process and transparency surrounding the school’s closure and reconstruction. Instead of engaging constructively with critics, the Minister resorts to vitriolic social media posts, further eroding public trust in her leadership.
The Minister’s defensive posture and lack of accountability are symptomatic of a broader problem in Guyana’s governance. Education, the cornerstone of national development, should never be politicized or reduced to petty squabbles. Parents, teachers, and students deserve leaders who will listen, plan, and act with integrity—not deflect, dismiss, and attack.
The rebuilding of Queen’s College, or any school, is not a political victory to be brandished in the face of critics. It is a fundamental responsibility of the state. Instead of pointing fingers, Minister Manickchand should focus on addressing the systemic failures that plague Guyana’s education system, from inadequate infrastructure to teacher shortages and poor academic outcomes.
