President’s College Celebrates 41st Anniversary Amid Debate Over Education Minister’s Historical Narrative

Georgetown, Guyana – President’s College marked its 41st anniversary on September 11 with an assembly that has sparked discussion about how the institution’s history is being remembered and taught.

Education Minister Sonia Parag, a past student of the college, served as chief guest at the event. In a post on her official social media page, Parag described the return to her alma mater as “a deeply moving experience,” adding that she “loved sharing words of motivation with the current student body.”

However, the celebration has drawn criticism from some quarters, with observers noting that the minister’s remarks did not reference the school’s founding connection to Guyana’s first Executive President, Linden Forbes Burnham. President’s College was established in 1985 as a boarding institution envisioned by Burnham as a “school of excellence” for the nation’s top academic performers. The school officially opened on September 11, 1985, the date now commemorated as its anniversary, after Burnham’s death earlier that year.