Guyana’s Education Boom: Inside the reforms pushing learners forward
by Kevin Smith
While Guyana’s schoolchildren are on vacation, the country still celebrates the young 2025 NGSA candidates whose performance has been described as the best in the country’s history.
The results show a significant jump in the national pass rate, from 49 percent to 63 percent, marking a historic milestone for Guyana’s education system, an accomplishment tied directly to heavy government investment and long-term groundwork across all ten administrative regions.
For the first time ever, Guyana has recorded pass rates above 50 percent in all four subjects in the National Grade Six Assessment. Education Minister Priya Manickchand credited the achievement to “back-breaking and consistent work,” led by a string of targeted interventions in schools.
The Education Ministry conducted full distribution of textbooks to every Grade Six pupil, heightened school feeding initiatives, and expanded teacher training.
The Ministry also introduced the Grade Five Assessment, while learning options have been broadened through radio, television, and digital platforms. Access to secondary education was also improved with the construction and upgrading of 39 secondary schools across the country.
School feeding programs were upgraded, relieving parents of financial pressures. Each exam candidate received a full package of stationery to prepare them for sitting the NGSA without added cost.
The accomplishments at this year’s NGSA are just a small piece of a much bigger picture. From nursery classrooms to university lecture halls, Guyana’s education system is going through a major transformation, one that is designed to make learners’ experience more accessible and stress-free, regardless of their location and background.
The government scrapped tuition fees at the University of Guyana in January 2025, lifting the weight off more than 11,000 students pursuing Diplomas, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and even PhDs.
Additionally, the GOAL scholarship programme has grown far beyond its original promise. What was once a plan to award 20,000 scholarships between 2021 and 2025 has now passed the 30,000 mark.
Since tuition was waived, UG has been flooded with applications, more than 1,200 each week for the 2025–2026 academic year. Additional support from the government includes $13.1 billion set aside in the national budget for the University and $4.4 billion for GOAL. Over 2,700 graduates have already had their student loans written off.
In terms of educational broadcasting, the Guyana Learning Channel has expanded to six digital channels with content for nursery school children, CXC preparation material, job skills and adult education. The Channel is reaching students in even the most remote hinterland regions.
Meanwhile, teachers are also getting better support. The Cyril Potter College of Education now offers online training with help from international partners like the OAS and ProFuturo. And science labs across the country are seeing real upgrades, with new equipment making it easier to deliver practical, hands-on lessons.
These changes show that this year’s NGSA results are not a one-off accomplishment. They’re part of a full-scale effort to revamp the education system, making it stronger, more inclusive, and more prepared for the future.
