Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton today used his 2025 budget speech to mock graduates of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme which has benefitted close to 30,000 Guyanese.
In a mocking tone, Norton commented that: “The awardees must have been the crème de la crème of students for 378 to have received PhDs in three years.”
He went on: “Unbelievable. PhDs giving away from the highest level here.”
The GOAL programme has enabled Guyanese to pursue a wide range of academic courses at foreign universities at no cost, including bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral studies, and postgraduate diplomas.
Over 21,000 women and more than 8,000 men have been granted scholarships to pursue tertiary education through GOAL. Last year, more than 1,600 persons graduated from universities across the globe through the programme.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced last year that the Government will begin offering a new monthly qualification allowance to persons who have master’s and doctoral degrees, beginning this year.
Individuals with a Master’s Degree will receive a non-taxable allowance of $22,000 monthly, and those with a doctoral degree, $32,000 monthly. This includes persons who would have graduated from GOAL programmes.
Additionally, those with qualifications from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) will get a monthly allowance of $15,000.
