Dear Editor,
Please allow me some space in your letters’ column to commend His Excellency, the President of Guyana, and his government for the remarkable strides they are making in making education accessible, affordable, and attainable for every Guyanese.
Guyana is transforming before our eyes, and to sustain this trajectory of growth and inclusion, it is vital that every Guyanese citizen is equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to participate in this remarkable success story.
Under the leadership of President Dr. Irfaan Ali, the government has been diligently working towards its commitment to providing accessible education at all levels. The Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) allows Guyanese—regardless of geographical location, race, or gender—to access scholarships for certificates, diplomas, undergraduate, and postgraduate degrees through an expanding pool of partnering institutions and universities.
Additionally, the government’s recent announcement to write off approximately $5 billion in student debt at the University of Guyana (UG) by year-end is a commendable step toward fulfilling the promise of free tertiary education by 2025.
However, there seems to be one area that warrants greater attention: legal education. We are aware of the commendable decision to establish Guyana’s very own law school at the Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown campus of the University of Guyana. While the feasibility study has been completed and submitted to the Council for Legal Education, the realization of this project—including infrastructure and a Law Library—will understandably take a few more years.
In the meantime, our law students who have successfully completed their Bachelor of Laws degrees at the Univer-sity of Guyana are required to complete two years of study and practical training at either the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad & Tobago, the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, or the Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas to obtain their Legal Education Certificate and be fully qualified to practice in Guyana or the English-speaking Carib-bean. The cost of attending these institutions is, however, prohibitive—particularly at the Eugene Dupuch Law School, where Guyana is not zoned, making the economic cost significantly higher.
Education is the cornerstone of progress and the key to unlocking opportunities that empower people. In light of this, I urge that the government consider some form of financial relief for Guyana’s law students, who are committed to contributing to the nation’s future development.
Sincerely,
Maggie Jackson
