Advisor to the Minister of Education Mrs. Africo Selman, on Thursday, met with teachers and students of the Brickdam Secondary School to listen to their concerns regarding robbery attacks students have suffered in recent days, and has taken steps to address the problem.
According to the Ministry of Education, following the meeting with the students and teachers, Ms Selman also met with Deputy Commander of Region Four (4) ‘A’ Superintendent Mr Guy Nurse who has committed to ensuring that there are increased police patrol and presence in the area.
The Guyana Police Force will also be meeting with the teachers and students of the school to get a greater understanding of the issue and will be implementing additional measures that will be tailored towards eradicating the scourge.
When schools were partially reopened, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand had visited several of them to assess the situation on the ground. One of the schools visited was Brickdam Secondary which has been relocated from its original location on Brickdam in Central Georgetown to the East La Penitence Primary School building on the outskirts of the city.
During the visit, teachers had complained that students are constantly being robbed by criminal elements in the area. The teachers had said that they advised the children to walk in groups hoping that this would deter the criminals. However, this approach did not deter criminal elements since the robberies continued.
The Education Minister had given the assurance that she will address the matter with a view of ensuring that the children can attend the school in a safe and comfortable environment.
Parents have also reached out to the Ministry of Education lamenting the high incidence of robberies committed on the students attending the school. While many students living in Georgetown attend the school, many students are living outside of the city that attend the institution.
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