…teachers to be included also

THE two students, a boy and girl, of the Richard Ishmael Secondary School who were involved in a fight uploaded via video on social media on Wednesday, November 27, 2019, are to benefit from counselling to be provided by one of the ministry’s mobile psychosocial units.

The unsavoury and alarming incident had prompted the immediate intervention of Minister of Education Nicolette Henry.
Teachers of the school will also be counselled, Minister Henry reportedly told the school’s educators when she visited the school the following day and spoke with both teachers and students.

However, the Chronicle was yesterday unable to verify whether the professional guidance has commenced, as Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Marcel Hutson, when contacted for an update said there was nothing further to what the minister has said. He noted that an investigation is still in progress.

During the `pow wow’ with the students, the minister caused the two students involved to publicly apologise to each other in a show of brotherly and sisterly love. The minister impressed upon them and the other students that they need to be their brother’s keeper; also, that in future, only good news must be forthcoming from the school.

The students were urged to find other ways than reverting to violence to deal with conflicts and to take maximum advantage of the opportunities afforded them; they were reminded, too, of the need to adhere to the school’s policy governing students’ behaviour. behavioural pattern in accordance with the school policy. Those who fail to conform to such policies will be firmly dealt with, Minister Henry cautioned the students.

As regards the school’s teachers whom she engaged separately, they were reminded of the role expected of them as the cornerstone of the education sector. They were also assured that their welfare and safety are the highest priorities.

When the video showing the students fighting was initially uploaded, there was widespread condemnation on social media of the `beat down’ of the girl by the male. It was also seen as an extension of the `atrocious’ behaviour by students of some secondary schools.

Prior to the surfacing of that video, callers on an early-morning radio call-in `What Frets You’ programme on 94.1 FM by Gordon Moseley, had reported that there are daily fights at some city secondary schools that were identified. Persons also spoke of a six-year-old student of an East Coast Demerara (ECD) primary school being traumatised after being slashed on the hand by another male student. Callers called for the vigilance of school welfare officers and for the hosting of regular ‘pep talks’ on issues such as bullying.

It was the general view that what is happening in local schools appears to be ‘copycat’ behaviour, based on what is seen and heard occurring outside of Guyana.

Ironically, the day prior to airing of the video, the Ministry of Education’s capacity to provide counselling to children across the country was enhanced with the commissioning of two new mobile psychosocial units valued at $21M.

Minister Henry was quoted as saying then, “It is my hope and my desire that these units will operate not only in Georgetown, but will go beyond Region Four and reach other students who are most in need and most vulnerable and live in perhaps some of the most difficult parts of this country.”

The report noted too, that as of April 2019 following the launch of the first unit, over 100 learners had benefitted from counselling which had met their psychological and social needs.