– No word from MoE since meeting last year March

ALMOST a year ago, amid much discourse for and against the idea, it was revealed that plans were afoot to have the annual National Schools Championships (Nationals) split into secondary and primary school competitions, with the secondary school division of the competition moving up from the usual November hosting to earlier in the year.

However, the plan was easier said than done; and the proposal has been silently thrown out without any official word from the Ministry of Education (MoE).

Last year’s National Schools Championships was touted as the ‘farewell’ hosting, and the change was expected to take effect from this year, which would have seen the secondary school competitions being held during the Easter term and the primary school division of the championships continuing in the November slot.

The National Schools Championships, which features student athletes from all across Guyana, grouped into 15 districts competing in athletics, cycling and swimming events, across five days, is hosted as collaboration between the Ministry of Education and Guyana Teachers Union (GTU).

Correspondence had been distributed to district heads of plans to see the event held this year March. However the month has come and gone without so much as a word on the next move for the event, which celebrated its 57th hosting last year.

As a matter of fact, nothing was ever said again about the proposed plans since it was mentioned at a meeting last year March.

“There hasn’t been any update that relates to anything,” a GTU official confirmed last month

“The last meeting was held probably sometime about March last year, and they had the decision that yes we (MoE) are going to run Nationals, as is, for the last time in November. But since then to now, there’s nothing confirming anything.”

Even though subsequent meetings between the MoE and GTU were held during the November hosting of Nationals, there was no more talk of the split or move.

When approached last year, Head of Physical Education at the Unit of Allied Arts, Nicholas Fraser, said the suggestion to move the Championships was made so that it is better aligned with the ‘international calendar for sports’.

The move was of particular interest to the track and field fraternity, who would use the event to scout out talent for upcoming events, notably the CARIFTA Games. President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Aubrey Hutson said that in his last talks with the Unit of Allied Arts some three weeks ago, it was further confirmed that nothing was in place to see the move through.

“The MoE has done nothing about moving the National Schools’ Championships to March; they’ve done absolutely nothing.

“I engaged the Department of Allied Arts, and all indications from (Fraser) were that there was nothing in place for the hosting of the event in March, or anytime in this term. We even attempted to find out about the secondary schools relay competitions that seem to be in jeopardy at this time.

So, even that has proved to be a difficult thing to do at this time. We were just told by the head of Allied Arts that the stuff was postponed indefinitely,” Hutson said.