Gov’t launches probe into Mae’s culture wear rejection
Karen Small (left) and a relative holding up a placard with the photo of her son at the centre bordered by Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on Tuesday in front of Mae’s School.
Karen Small (left) and a relative holding up a placard with the photo of her son at the centre bordered by Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on Tuesday in front of Mae’s School.

THE Education Ministry has launched an investigation into the allegation that a nine-year-old student was barred from entering Mae’s School dressed in a traditional Indigenous wear.

The Administration of Mae’s School has since refuted the claims, contending that clear guidelines inclusive of a dress code, were given to students ahead of the May 25, 2018, Culture Day at the School. However, the child’s mother, Karen Small, with support from Indigenous Organizations in Guyana, is demanding that the school issue a public apology for allegedly discriminating against the child who chose to embrace his Indigenous heritage.

Speaking to reporters on the issue on Wednesday, Vice President and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock, said that the Education Ministry is addressing the issue. “They are already on the ball,” he told Guyana Chronicle when asked if an investigation has been launched into the allegation.

Minister Allicock said he was taken aback by the incident which resulted in the private school being condemned for the incident. “Personally, it is something that I would not have expected, since we are embarking on social cohesion and unifying of the country and are a multi-ethnic, multi-racial community and we should be more understanding, more respectful for the citizens of this country,” the Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister said.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) said the alleged action of the school goes against the Constitution of Guyana. “The action by the school to single out and publicly humiliate the student, while other students were allowed to wear their cultural clothing, is disgraceful. As a person of indigenous heritage, the young student had a right to dress in his indigenous wear without discrimination from the public, but especially from an educational institution like Mae’s School,” the APA stated.

It said that traditional indigenous clothing should not be deemed inappropriate in a country that celebrates its rich cultural diversity. “It is enshrined in the Constitution of Guyana that every citizen has a right to their religion, cultural beliefs and practices. The Constitution specifically states in Article 149G that indigenous peoples “have the right to the protection, preservation and promulgation of their languages, cultural heritage and way of life,” the association pointed out.

Additionally, it pointed out that Guyana is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Anchor and Producer, Natasha Smith said for far too long indigenous people of Guyana have been discriminated against. “People have to stop disrespecting us. Mae’s School is just an example of the daily discrimination that we receive in this country. It may not be as blatant but 2018, the 29th of May, we are still having this fight; it should tell you something about what is really happening,” Smith said. According to her, there have been similar incidents in other parts of the country, and teachers and parents must teach children to be tolerant of each other’s culture.

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