Dr. Terrence Campbell, lead parliamentarian for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), submitted a series of questions to Minister Zulfikar Ally, Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, on 3rd November, during the first sitting of the 13th Parliament, regarding the engagement of the International Skill Development Corporation (ISDC) for tertiary distance learning under the GOAL Scholarship Programme.
The Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme, launched in 2021, has been a major government initiative to expand access to tertiary and postgraduate education for Guyanese. By June 2025, over 39,000 scholarships had been awarded, with a total government investment of about G$12.6 billion (≈ US$60 million), averaging roughly G$312,000 per student.
Despite the scale of the investment, the programme has been mired in controversy. Campbell, who served as the Opposition representative on the GOAL‑ISDC oversight sphere, raised alarms in March 2025 about the role of ISDC and its purported partnership with Staffordshire University (UK). He insisted, “We should have an audit and a review of the institutions associated with the programme.” The Government has declined to publicly disclose the total amount paid to ISDC, leading to opposition estimates that around G$10 billion had been spent and over G$4 billion may have been directed to ISDC. In March 2025, the GOAL programme officially terminated its relationship with ISDC and Staffordshire University after ISDC failed to honor its agreement and offered programmes outside the scope of the contract
In his submission, Campbell asked Minister Ally to provide clarity on several key points:
- “Can the Honourable Minister state the total number of students who were granted government scholarships or financial assistance through the International Skill Development Corporation (ISDC) under the GOAL programme?”
- “Of the total number of students identified in Question 1, can the Honourable Minister indicate how many were purportedly registered with Staffordshire University as part of ISDC’s programme offering?”
- “Can the Honourable Minister state the total amount of public funds paid to ISDC in respect of all students identified in Question 1 above?”
- “Can the Honourable Minister state the total amount of public funds paid to ISDC specifically in respect of those students who were purportedly registered at Staffordshire University as identified in Question 2?”
- “Can the Honourable Minister indicate how much of the money paid to ISDC in respect of the students identified in Question 2 has been recovered by the Government of Guyana, and what measures have been taken to recover any outstanding amounts?”
The questions highlight ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability in the disbursement of public funds for educational programmes under GOAL. Campbell’s submission seeks to clarify the number of beneficiaries, the legitimacy of student registrations with Staffordshire University, the total payments made to ISDC, and the government’s efforts to recover any misused funds.
The matter is expected to be addressed in Parliament during the upcoming session, with Campbell emphasizing the need for government accountability in managing taxpayer money allocated for tertiary education.
