Schools across Guyana reopened today for the new academic year 2013/2014. However there were some difficulties at some schools, specifically in Georgetown and in Region Four, and this was highlighted by the Education Ministry in a statement issued this afternoon.
According to the ministry, officials including the Minister and Chief Education Officer visited several schools to ensure that all is well.
During this time the problems were discovered, including one at Stella Maris Primary School. The Minister expressed unhappiness that the school had failed to register a child who was at the school with her grandmother because of some fees not being paid in a timely manner. The Minister has since instructed that the child be placed in the classroom.
Additionally, the BV Practical Instruction Center was unprepared for their children in terms of its infrastructure. The school will be closed until Thursday when the repairs and renovation works are expected to be completed. These repairs are being undertaken by Central Ministry.
St Roses High and St Agnes Primary who share a compound also experienced some problems. According to the Ministry, this is due to some persons without official authorization who locked up some rooms and blocked access of St Agnes to the said rooms.
Additionally the Moblissa Primary School was not ready because construction works were not finished but school began with children being housed at a nearby Benab. The school would be ready to house the students on Tuesday 3rd September, the Ministry said.
Late Thursday afternoon the Central Ministry learnt that despite the fact that all schools on the East Coast are historically weeded by the NDCs, three NDCs refused to weed the 26 schools under their jurisdiction.
“The Ministry is horrified that these NDC’s could so callously and insensitively have treated with the welfare of the children residing and/or going to school in their Neighbourhood. The Ministry notes that these three NDCs are chaired and controlled by the main opposition.”
