Dear Editor,
I do not believe that education should be a gift to the rich and a dream for the poor. Education in today’s world is very costly but at no time should any citizen in a developing country who pays a high amount in taxes pull out money from their pockets to pay a tuition cost. People pay taxes so that their country can be developed.
The government is responsible for the collection of these taxes and the spending of these taxes. It is expected that these taxes be spent smartly so that the country can be developed properly. Building a Marriott Hotel is good spending, building airstrips is good spending, building a deep-water harbour is good spending, building hospitals is good spending, building the hydro-electric plant is good spending, etc, but subsidising tertiary education is smart spending. When we spend smartly we will have people in our country who will be qualified to build airstrips and hotels which will be cheaper. We will not have to spend wastefully if our country produces the necessary human resources to get the job done.
Expatriates are treated like kings and queens in Guyana, only because they are better qualified.
Editor, if the University of Guyana is given the necessary resources it deserves and there is proper management of these resources ‒ please note I said proper management ‒ Guyana will produce the brains that we so seek from China and elsewhere. Don’t pressure the people to pay increased tuition, instead we the people should pressure the government to put our taxes into UG’s coffers, and, of course, let UG account for every cent.
Editor, we need more of Malala in Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
