SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan — Guyana is placing academic equity and human development at the center of its national transformation, Education Minister Sonia Parag told the 43rd Session of the UNESCO General Conference on Friday, according to the Ministry of Education.
Addressing delegates in Samarkand, Parag reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to sustainable development, inclusive education and multilateral cooperation, noting that the country’s economic growth is being matched by unprecedented investments in people.
“True prosperity is measured not only by economic output but by the opportunities we create for every citizen,” she said, urging global partners to move urgently to reverse pandemic-related learning loss and close educational inequality. “The global slowdown in educational progress must be reversed, and it must start now.”
Parag highlighted Guyana’s aggressive efforts over the past five years to expand access to tertiary and technical education, particularly through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), which has awarded nearly 40,000 scholarships nationwide, including in remote hinterland communities.
More than GYD$36 billion has been invested in school construction and upgrades, expanding classroom capacity for roughly 20,000 students and providing secondary-level access to several hinterland regions for the first time, she said.
Parag also pointed to the expanded “Because We Care” and school uniform grants, which currently total GYD$55,000 per student annually — a program representing more than GYD$11 billion in direct family support. That benefit will increase to $100,000 next year, along with an additional $100,000 transportation allowance. “Through these efforts, we are ensuring that no child is left behind because of economic insecurity,” she said.
The minister said Guyana is aligning education systems with emerging sectors through expanded TVET and STEM programs, and sees artificial intelligence as “an opportunity to enhance education, improve public services, and strengthen climate research” when governed ethically and equitably.
Underscoring Guyana’s low-deforestation model and Low Carbon Development Strategy, Parag emphasized the country’s role in global environmental stewardship, including its new partnership with the Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change and the launch of the Global Biodiversity Alliance earlier this year.
She also spotlighted Guyana’s cultural diversity and said the government is prioritizing ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage to protect Indigenous languages and traditional knowledge.
Parag announced Guyana’s candidature for the UNESCO Executive Board elections scheduled for November 7, saying the world must unite to tackle climate change, digital transformation and cultural preservation. “Let us transform today’s uncertainty into tomorrow’s opportunity, guided by our shared belief in peace, knowledge, and human dignity,” she said.
The UNESCO General Conference, which establishes the organisation’s policies and elects its Executive Board and Director-General, runs from October 30 to November 13.