Priya Manickchand is a Guyanese politician. She was the former Minister of Human Services and Social Security from 2006-2011. She also held the position of Minister of Education in Guyana between 2011-2015 and 2020-2025. She was appointed Minister of Local Government and Regional Development on September 15th, 2025, by President Irfaan Ali.
Early Life Priya Devi Manickchand was born on August 13th, 1976 to Hyacinth Manickchand, a school teacher, and Krishendat Manickchand, a rice and cattle farmer. Raised in Georgetown with her two siblings, Manickchand grew up Presbyterian and was an active member of the Guyana Presbyterian Church.
In her teens, Manickchand served as president of the National Youth Council of Presbyterian Church. She organized and ran Youth Camps for teenagers across the country, an early sign of her leadership skills.
Education She attended Stella Maris Primary School, and received secondary education at Queen's College. She also received her law degree from Hugh Wooding Law School.
Early Career Manickchand began her law career in 2000 as an associate Attorney at Khemraj Ramjattan and Associates. Following that, she began her own practice, and would go on to volunteer at the Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic as a Senior Supervising Attorney. At the time, it was Guyana’s sole legal aid provider.
Manickchand is a member of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic. She served on the board of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (2003-2006), the Omai Board of Directors, and was Chair of Region 5’s Rice Assessment Committee.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security (2006-2011) In 2006, Manickchand was appointed Minister of Human Services and Social Security under the presidency of Bharat Jagdeo. During her tenure, she championed policies for the well-being of women and children. The most notable of these is the overhaul of the country's Sex Offences Act, which officially criminalised marital rape.
Manickchand expanded the Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic to provide legal aid to other administrative regions in Guyana. By 2007, a year after she assumed office, six regions in Guyana had access to legal aid offices. Furthermore, she launched the National Domestic Violence Policy, aimed at providing legal and financial aid to victims of domestic abuse. In an interview with Kaieteur News, she noted that "..with the provision of legal aid and support services, that person does not have to be dependent on the breadwinner, and could proceed with legal action against that person.”
In 2008, Manickchand published 'Minimum Operational Standards & Regulations for Children's Homes in Guyana', a booklet that provided regulations for orphanages and care homes to abide by. The booklet was created with the support of UNICEF as part of an initiative to ensure that children in orphanages were receiving adequate care.
Manickchand also advocated to provide opportunities for single mothers with the Women of Worth program. This program collaborated with the Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry to provide single mothers low-interest loans to aid in starting or developing their businesses.
Additional policies implemented by Manickchand during her time in this position were the launch of the Men’s Affairs Bureau in 2011, and improving the distribution of old age pensions to senior citizens. Acts for the Well-Being of Women and Children In 2009, she spearheaded the Adoption of Children Act, the Status of Children Act, the Custody, Contact, Guardianship and Maintenance Act, the Protection of Children Act, and the Childcare and Protection Services Act. In May of the same year, these acts were passed unanimously in the National Assembly. The Adoption of Children Act provides protections for the rights of the child when it comes to adoption and foster care, positing that if the child is old enough to express an opinion, that opinion should be respected and taken into account. The Status of Children Act ensures that children born out of wedlock have the same legal rights as children born from a legal marriage.
The Childcare and Protection Act gave way to further improvements for children in Guyana, including the establishment of the Childcare and Protection Agency in June 2009. The Agency provides assistance relating to children in abusive situations, as well as resources for children living in poverty. In July of the same year, Manickchand and the Ministry of Human Services launched a foster care program. It aimed to get children off the streets and paired with safe homes – foster parents were funded by the State.
2010 saw the passage of the Sex Offenses Act, which overhauled the country’s sex offences laws. Manickchand sought feedback from citizens throughout the country, and wrote a white paper advocating for the passage of the Act. It expanded the legal definition of rape to include marital rape and the rape of men and boys, and included new, harsher penalties for offenders.
Family Court In November 2009, construction began on Guyana’s first family court. This was another initiative created by Manickchand. It was a dedicated court to deal with family issues including divorce, division of property, domestic matters, adoption, applications on the status of children, guardianship, custody and related matters. While construction was completed in 2010, it did not become operational until 2016. Minister of Education (2011-2015) Manickchand was appointed Minister of Education in 2011. During her time in the position, she implemented grants and aid for students with the goal of making education accessible for more families.
She created the Education For All-Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI), which aimed to provide accessible and affordable primary school education. As part of this initiative, uniform vouchers were given to parents, and free school lunches were made available in the hinterland regions of Guyana. Speaking on these programs, Manickchand said, “So what started as just a program for persons in difficult circumstances is now benefiting every single child in the school system… money must not be seen as a barrier to obtaining an education in Guyana.”
Further aid was provided under her leadership; in 2014, the Because We Care cash grant was launched. This was lauded as the first program of its kind in the Caribbean. More than 200,000 public school students benefited, receiving 10,000 Guyana Dollars each (approximately worth USD $48 at the time).
Revamp of the Education System Manickchand also introduced a pilot project to improve pass rates for Math and English at the CSEC level. The project was implemented in thirty-two schools and included providing better resources for students and more training for teachers at the CSEC level. Under Manickchand’s leadership, Guyana saw consistent improvement at CSEC and CAPE. Students from across the country were lauded as the region’s top performers, including a student from Anna Regina secondary in 2013.
In her efforts to overhaul the education system, she re-evaluated the ‘No Child Left Behind’ policy, which had come under criticism from teachers and parents.
Another of her mandates was improving the University of Guyana. A World Bank loan of US $10 million was acquired, used to overhaul the university’s science and technology facilities. She also placed emphasis on the importance of investing in ICT in schools. Information Technology Laboratories were installed in ninety-five secondary schools across the country; the University of Guyana’s School of Education and Humanities also received a fully functional IT laboratory.
Burning of One Mile Primary While Manickchand was in office, the One Mile Primary school was burnt as part of protest actions in Linden. She condemned the perpetrators, stating that “This is wrong, will affect our innocent children, will create grave hardship for all involved, and must be unreservedly condemned.” While the school was being reconstructed, Manickchand and the Ministry of Education moved the displaced students to other schools in the area. Rebuilding was officially completed in 2015.
Honorary Doctorate While Manickchand did receive some criticism from the opposition party during her time as education minister, her tenure was widely positively received. In 2014, Lesley University conferred upon her an Honorary Doctorate for her work in social justice and gender equality. After receiving the degree, she addressed the graduates and called for them to work towards establishing gender equality. “I ask you, today, whatever your passion, whatever you plan to pursue, wherever you work, wherever you live, that you ensure you consciously and strategically set about to use your value, the education and training you leave here with, to bring about gender equality.”
Minister of Education (2020-2025) When the PPP/C was re-elected in 2020, Manickchand resumed her position as Minister of Education. She prioritized accessible education to all, implementing a number of grants, re-instating the 'Because We Care' cash grant, and overseeing the building and expansion of schools throughout the country. Moreover, her mandates focused on encouraging students to finish secondary school and seek tertiary education.
Monetary Aid for Students and Parents In 2021, the Because We Care cash grant was re-instated. 172,000 students within the public school system benefitted, receiving $15,000 GYD, as well as a $4000 uniform/school supplies grant. In 2025, the grant was increased to $55,000 GYD. 205,000 students from both public and private schools received the grant.
Under Manickchand, the state and the Ministry of Education vowed to cover the full cost of eight CXC subjects per student, starting in 2025. This was another initiative aimed at encouraging students to complete secondary school. Furthermore, parents who had already paid examination fees for the year were reimbursed.
Expansion of the Guyana Learning Channel Manickchand established EdYou FM in 2020, a radio program that provides educational content to children across Guyana. The government invested 300 million GYD in the radio program and expand the Guyana Learning Channel; in 2021, primary schools in the hinterland were equipped with televisions, solar power, and satellite connectivity to access these programs. Over ninety percent of hinterland communities are now able to take advantage of these educational resources.
School Feeding Program By 2023, a school feeding program was implemented in all administrative regions in Guyana. Speaking at the launch of the program in Linden, Manickchand noted, "It’s our duty to help as far as our finances will allow and that is not disputable." Breakfast was provided for students from nursery to grade six; roughly 87,000 children were estimated to have benefited. In 2025, a similar program was launched as part of the Ministry of Education's Hinterland Improvement Drive. Free meals were provided to students living in dorm schools.
Book Distribution In 2024, the Ministry of Education announced a nationwide book distribution initiatives for both primary and secondary schools. Students are provided with textbooks and workbooks free of cost. These cover foundational knowledge at the nursery and primary levels, as well as material relevant to the CSEC curriculum.
Investment in Teachers Manickchand implemented a teachers’ resources grant. Schools receive money per student that teachers can use for school supplies, eliminating the need for them to pay out of pocket.