…as Home Affairs Ministry condemns all racially motivated attacks
The Education Ministry and the Guyana Police Force have launched separate investigations into the attack on students and teachers at the Woodley Park Secondary School, West Coast Berbice.
On Friday, students came under attack by young residents of the Woodley Park Village, who walked into the school and verbally as well as physically assaulted them.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Sunday said she was made aware of this very serious allegation of verbal and physical abuse of students accompanied by alleged unacceptable and criminal racist language regarding children of the Woodley Park school.
“This will be fully investigated both by the Guyana Police Force as well as the Regional Education Department and as soon as those findings are available, I will make them public,” she assured.
Manickchand added, “In the meanwhile, every action will be taken to keep our children attending that school safe. And anyone who attempts to interfere with that will be dealt with condignly.”
Also on Sunday, the Home Affairs Ministry issued a statement on the incident as well, indicating that the Head Teacher and students of the Woodley Park Secondary School were engaged by the Police.
It was noted that based on the information received, two individuals were contacted, one an adult and the other a child.
“The Police have already begun an investigation into the matter, and one person is currently in custody,” the Ministry said.
Additionally, a planned engagement between the Police, teachers, and students of Woodley Park Secondary will be held to further aid with the investigation.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs condemns in the strongest possible terms any or all occurrence of racially motivated attacks, particularly on our schoolchildren.”
In a video that was shared on social media, teachers and students, and even some parents, were seen in the compound of the Woodley Park Secondary School as a group of males armed with pieces of wood walked around the compound. They were confronted by parents and teachers and made to leave the school compound. In one of the videos, a male student was heard saying, “Miss, you just see that big man come and cuff me, right?”.
On Saturday, the People’s National Congress Reform – the leading party in the parliamentary Opposition coalition – called for the intervention of the Ministries of Education and Home Affairs to investigate this incident and put mechanisms in place to ensure that parents and students can feel safe returning to school.
