Primary School Students protest transfer of teachers

By Kurt Campbell

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Against threats by the Ministry of Education to treat seriously with protests that involve school children, especially during school hours, students of the St. Thomas Moore Primary School, Durban Street, Georgetown left their classrooms this morning (September 30) and joined their parents in the compound to protest the transfer of two teachers from the school.

The over one hundred students who stood in very warm morning sunlight held placard and shouted “we want justice… no teacher, no school.”

According to President of the Parent/Teacher Association Trisha Paris, there are currently two grade five teachers, one of whom is on maternity leave.

Paris said the Ministry has signaled its intent to remove the other grade five teacher -Morvina Thomas – which will in effect leave the grade five students with no teacher. “Is this right? This is not right, it is not fair, these children are preparing for common entrance very soon, what will happen to them how will they adjust” she added.

She told iNews that the Ministry claims the school is overstaffed and for that reason it was moving Ms. Thomas along with another teacher to the Cummings Lodge Secondary School.

“We are not going to allow them to remove a grade five teacher without there is no replacement.” Paris said.

“She is a very good teacher, she stays back to keep free lessons and they just want to move her, that’s not right, everybody is angry about it” another parent added.

Meanwhile, The Education Ministry at the weekend had issued a strong warning against such protest, saying it will not tolerate the utilization of school premises as a location of protests and the Exploitation of children during school hours by utilizing them to hold placards, congregating on the roadways, shouting unwholesome slogans among others.