The largest budgetary allocations goes to the education sector each year, the present administration is investing heavily in education.

Education.
2011
•    Government expended a sum of $24 billion over the last year in the sector.
•    $1 billion was spent on the Cyril Potter College.
•    $47 million spent on the establishment of the Educational Television Broadcasting Service.
•    $768 million was spent on the operational costs of the 2 campuses of University of Guyana and $450 million on student loans.
•    Over $1 billion was spent on the National School Feeding programme which benefited more than 63,000 students.
•    $266 million was spent on ensuring each child had a uniform for school.
•    $1.8 billion was spent on technical and vocational training.
•    $2.8 billion was also expended towards the maintenance, rehabilitation, extension and construction of educational facilities throughout Guyana
2012
•    $26.5 billion has been allocated towards the education sector.
•    $1 billion allocated for the National School Feeding programme
•    $1.2 billion has been budgeted for teacher training
•    3,500 teachers trained by end 2012
•    University of Guyana has been allocated $900 million towards the operations and maintenance of the Turkeyen and Tain campuses.
•    $80 million has been for curriculum reform for the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Guyana.
•    $450 million has been provided for student loans.
•    $3.3 billion has been allocated for the continued maintenance, rehabilitation, extension and construction of educational facilities countrywide.

THE Ministry of Education’s Strategic Plan for 2008-2013 has, as one of its goal, the achievement of at least 70 percent of teachers trained by 2013 to guarantee that children will have a better opportunity to access quality education.

Guyana court bans companies from selling pirated books  after complaint filed by London publishing body.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Less than two  weeks after Guyana declared that it had to buy pirated textbooks to place in  public schools in order to save money on its high educational bill, there has  been a change in direction.

According to the Associated Press, Justice Rishi Persaud has granted an  injunction against the practice and ordered local companies to stop selling  pirated textbooks to the government following a complaint filed by the  London-based Publishers Association.

Guyana officials have said that pirated books cost an average of US$3  compared to US$10 for original copies. Public schools in Guyana reopened three  weeks ago and cater to more than 250,000 students.

The British-based Publishers Association accused Guyana of acting in direct  contravention of local, regional and international laws.

“The Cabinet’s decision in Guyana to procure pirated textbooks for public  schools is an indisputably illegal act. This decision is in contravention of  Guyanese law, Caribbean law (CARICOM’s revised Treaty of Chaguaramas) and the  international Berne Convention,” read a statement posted last month on the  organisation’s website. The lobbying body comprises of more than 100 top book  publishers including Random House Children’s Books and Macmillan Education.

Prior to the new injunction, local companies have been photocopying books to  sell to Guyana's Education Ministry for more than a decade. 

Government approves contract to buy original text books

Government has commended its bilateral partners that have significantly assisted in making text books available for the education sector.

Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon  during his post cabinet media briefing indicated that the concessions received will go a long way.

 “I must commend our bilateral partners who have done extraordinarily behind the scenes to provide this developing country this small economy with the books at prices we can best afford but the long and short of it we cannot procure the same volume and as a consequence one can anticipate going to the national assembly for ramping up social expenditure” Dr Luncheon added.

Dr. Luncheon explained that prior to the high court ruling text books were adequately acquired taking into account the cost factor.

When asked about the possibility of recycling text books in the schools system, the Cabinet Secretary highlighted that even though this was played-up over the years there is some amount of challenge.

“You probably have some experience with the younger generation they are a different kettle of fish I don’t think the generations these days are in tuned to recycling as it was sometime previously it is not a feature that is practiced years ago” Dr Luncheon also added.

Dr. Luncheon indicated that government will continue to plug resources in this important sector and has since awarded a contract in excess of three hundred and eighty thousand u-s dollars towards this single procurement venture.

The issue of procuring pirated test books has since been engaging the local courts after a London-based publisher filed an injunction prohibiting local businesses from producing “pirated” copies of intellectual property by foreign publishers, editors and writers.

The Government Spokesman said the administration sees no other alternative but to increase spending in the social sector and will be going to the national assembly for the approval of additional funding in this regard. The resort to photocopied versions would have seen a significantly.