Financing for equity in primary and secondary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to schools
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
In Guyana, the Ministry of Education, led by the Minister, the Permanent Secretary, and the Chief Education Officer, holds the responsibility for resource mobilisation and the provision of centralised services pertaining to teacher training and development. In contrast, the ten regional Democratic Councils, which oversee the management of the ten regions—excluding the Georgetown district—are tasked with exercising general supervision and are responsible for the actual implementation of the education programme through the Regional Education Departments, led by Regional Education Officers. Although a degree of decentralisation exists, financing remains centralised.
According to the Education Bill (2014), the Minister, upon the recommendation of the Advisory Committee, is authorised to establish regulations on public funds or property allocated to or owned by the institution. These regulations may govern the terms and conditions of employment for teachers, which include aspects such as grading, promotion, leave, and the payment of salaries and other forms of remuneration. Additionally, the Minister may prescribe the nature of financial or other assistance that may be provided, along with the conditions under which such assistance is granted. Consequently, resources are transferred directly to the board of governors of each public school.
The financial resources allocated to public schools by the government are distributed "by way of grants to be determined by criteria and formula to ensure equity in allocations."
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The Regional Democratic Council (RDC) serves as the highest Local Government Body in each region, responsible for governing and managing services such as health, education, and public works across the entire region, and for coordinating the activities of all local democratic units within its area. RDCs are required to establish three committees—finance, works, and social development—and may create additional committees at their discretion.
While there exists a certain degree of decentralisation, financing remains predominantly centralised and resources are primarily allocated to schools.
2. Education resources to schools
The Government has introduced a School Grants Programme (2023) to enhance resources for teachers and improve educational outcomes. The allocation of these grants varies based on the school's location, size, and specific programmes.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) distributes the grants to the Regional Executive Officers of each administrative region, who then issue the grants to their Department of Education. The Department of Education issues the grants to the respective head teachers or teachers in charge of each school who are authorised to collect, allocate, and manage funds designated for janitorial and cleaning supplies, office materials, and field materials. The School Grants Committee decides whether to give the teachers the money to buy the items or whether the school centralises buying on a specific day.
Hinterland and riverine schools, along with dormitory facilities, receive higher per-student funding each term compared to their coastal counterparts, acknowledging the increased logistical and operational challenges they face. National schools are granted an additional fixed sum to support their broader educational mandates. Schools offering the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) programme, which are not categorised as national schools, receive supplementary funds to accommodate the advanced curriculum requirements. Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools are ensured a minimum allocation to cater to their unique needs, while primary schools with SEND classes receive baseline grants to support the integration and education of students with special needs. Smaller schools, defined as those with fewer than 56 students, are provided with a standardised grant amount each term to ensure they have adequate resources despite their limited student populations.
3. Education resources to students and families
The grant programme, reintroduced in 2020 by the Ministry of Education, provides parents and guardians of children attending public and private schools in several regions with differential cash grants and vouchers for school uniforms and supplies. Every public and private school child from nursery one to Grade 10 who is registered and attending school is eligible for the grant. Students entering grades 12 and 13 in the new school year will receive their grants in October after completing their registration.
Additionally, through its Book Distribution Unit, the government distributes textbooks covering all 36 CXC subjects, core Primary subjects, practical workbooks, and Nursery books to students, including those in hinterland regions. Parents and schools can request materials as needed. In 2023, the Ministry launched the EDpal Mobile app, providing approved curriculum-aligned audio and video lessons for subjects like Science, Math, Social Studies, English, and Spanish, accessible offline. This feature supports learners in areas with low connectivity and assists parents in helping their children study at home. The app allows learners to access educational content on demand, helping them expand their knowledge beyond traditional classroom settings.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Hinterland Scholarship Programme
The Hinterland Scholarship Programme was established in 1962. In 1976, the Amerindian Scholarship Programme was rebranded as the Hinterland Scholarship Programme to accommodate children of mixed parentage or non-Indigenous individuals residing and working in the Interior. Currently, approximately eighty scholarships are awarded annually, and students facing financial difficulties are offered assistance, contingent upon verification of their circumstances.
Originally, eligible students who scored between 470 and 479 marks on the Common Entrance Examination (later the Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination) received a Regional Scholarship for secondary schools in their region, while those scoring above 480 qualified for schools in Georgetown. With the National Grade Six Examination, continuous assessment now contributes to the final score for eligibility: to qualify for a Regional Scholarship, students must achieve at least 83%, and 85% for a National Scholarship.
5. School meal programmes
School feeding programs are overseen by the Ministry of Education, managed by the Principal Education Officer in Georgetown and regional education division officers (REDOs). Programmes in coastal regions are handled by the Ministry’s Book Distribution Unit (BDU), where the Ministry allocates cash transfers. Additionally, a national school feeding committee (NSFC) includes representatives from the Ministries of Education, Local Communities, Agriculture, Social Protection, Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, and Public Health.
Guyana has three separate school meal programmes. These programmes differ in the types of food offered, targeted percentage of recommended dietary allowances, geographic distribution, and practices for procurement and monitoring and evaluation. They include: the community-based hot meals programme; the breakfast programme; and the fortified biscuit and juice snack programme (a fourth, the peanut butter and cassava bread snack programme, is not currently operational).
The Community-Based Hot Meals Programme, or the Community-Based School Feeding Programme (CBSFP), was introduced in 2006, with external funding from the World Bank Global Partnership for Education Catalytic Fund under the Education for All–Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI) until 2012. Today it is funded by the government and provides hot cooked lunches to pre-primary and primary students in hinterland regions 1, 2 (riverain), 7, 8, and 9.
The Breakfast Programme, launched in 2017, was initially targeted at nursery and has now expanded to all grades of primary schools on the coast. After being re-launched in 2022 following COVID-19, it now focuses on grade 6 students in six regions. The programme offers a daily breakfast consisting of a sandwich with different fillings—such as eggs, cheese, peanut butter, or tuna—accompanied by a milk-based drink. On Fridays, students receive a locally produced rice-based cereal with a milk-based drink.
Most schools also have privately operated canteens and/or food vendors, and a significant number of children bring lunch from home. There are currently no official nutrition guidelines and standards in place for school food in Guyana.
