Manickchand blasts APNU+AFC over failure to complete educational projects

Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Thursday criticized the APNU+AFC Opposition for failing to finalise several educational projects during its five years in office.

“All of those projects you started, we’re rolling them out now. You couldn’t get it done,” the Minister said during her debate on the 2021 National Budget which started on Monday in the National Assembly.

“The APNU+AFC problem was just that, they’re fancy talkers, sensational talk, sexy talk, everything sounds right. That’s how they rode into office. Their problem is that they cannot deliver, they could not deliver,” she added.

The Minister pointed to the construction of schools at Good Hope on the East Coast of Demerara and Parfaite Harmonie on the West Bank of Demerara, the installation of SMART Classrooms and other projects which were left incomplete when the political opposition was voted out of office in 2020.

Outlining her support for the Budget, the Minister said “this budget demonstrates very clearly a difference in style, philosophy and ideology between the two political parties.”

Manickchand who spoke after former Minister of Education Nicolette Henry pointed out that no systems were put in place to cater to students’ and teachers’ needs when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020.

She further pointed out that herself and team were able to get the Guyana Learning Channel up and running and implement several programs in record time after assuming office in August 2020.

She also highlighted the National Online Learning Institute which was established to streamline several virtual learning opportunities through collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning and other agencies.