Minister Parag: ‘Once an issue is reported, we will fix it’

Education Minister Sonia Parag said on Monday that the government will address school infrastructure issues once they are reported, defending the 2026 budget against criticism from opposition lawmakers.
“Once an issue is reported to us, we will go and fix it. I am not going to deny that there are issues with infrastructure, but we are willing to fix it,” Parag told lawmakers during ongoing debates on the budget. She added that allocations at both national and regional levels demonstrate the government’s commitment to resolving problems as they arise.
Parag described the 2026 estimates as “crafted for the people, written by the people and grounded firmly in the realities, hopes and aspirations of the Guyanese people,” highlighting the work of the Ministry of Education in developing a comprehensive plan for the sector.
Opposition APNU lawmaker Coretta McDonald challenged the budget, arguing that education spending has remained largely flat compared with surging allocations for infrastructure. She said student grants are insufficient to cover basic transportation and living costs, warning that underinvestment could have consequences beyond the classroom.
“The Honourable Minister of Finance stated that the budget is about building human capital for the future. Yet the estimates show that education’s share of spending has remained largely flat,” McDonald said, confirming she could not support it in its current form.