FIVE hundred and twelve truants were nabbed during the current Easter term, in the continuing campaign to get all school age children into learning institutions in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne).

‘Boss Lady’, being nabbed by School Welfare Officer Merlyn Alphonso

For the exercise, which commenced in April, visits were paid to the targeted areas between Port Mourant and Tain; Number 54 to Number 68 villages; Fyrish to Williamsburg, including Albion Front; Black Bush Polder; Eversham to Bloomfield; Crabwood Creek to Scottsburg, all in Corentyne; New Amsterdam to East Canje and Stanleytown to Plegtanker, East Bank Berbice.

The efforts of the Schools Welfare Department, an arm of the Ministry of Education through which the programme is being coordinated, resulted in 323 boys and 189 girls being apprehended.

The highest number, 75 came from between Crabwood Creek and Scottsburg followed by the New Amsterdam to Sheet Anchor area, where 65 were held.

Between Skeldon and Number 68, 60 of the children were found vending, running errands, riding about, playing in fields and hiding in a mosque on Tuesday.

An 11-year-old referred to as ‘Boss Lady’ was manning a store when the School Welfare Officers, accompanied by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) conducted a raid.

The pre-teen, having written the National Grade Six examinations and awaiting results, was managing her parents’ business while they are away.

Another boy was picked up as he bought fish from a vendor a short distance away from his father, who voiced his displeasure at the lad’s arrest.

The man protested that his son goes to school regularly but he had just sent him in the market to buy something to eat as they did not have any breakfast.

The father lamented that he gets no public assistance from the Government and will send the boy to school when he secures a job and earns money.

“When I don’t have money, he can’t go. I don’t walk and steal anything,” the man declared.

At Little Africa and Little India, parents made excuses like children not having clean school clothes; no water with which to cook or bathe and no money to equip children for school.

One parent, whose eight-year-old son was taken into custody, said the policeman in the raiding team had failed to arrest the boy’s father who has defaulted on his affiliation arrears in the sum of $35,000 but brandished a cutlass.

Meanwhile, one woman questioned why the public assistance she previously received for her 14-year-old has been withheld.

She said, since the money is no longer accessible, the pupil of Tagore Primary School cannot continue to attend classes.

The mother said she could not afford the $500 required and, if it is not paid, the candidate will be unable to write the end of term examinations.

Responding to that concern, Assistant Chief Probation and Welfare Office, Mr. Clement Brusche informed the woman that the public assistance she was getting is subject to review every six months and, once the recipient’s circumstances have improved, the grant will be discontinued.

Schools Welfare Officer Afra Mohammed told the Guyana Chronicle the major reasons for truancy are single parenthood, unemployed parents, children living with grandparents who can ill afford to care them and children who have completed the National Grade Six examinations and are awaiting results.

He said the truants and their parents/guardians were warned again, as usual, and sensitised to the importance of it and the laws governing compulsory education.

Mohamed said visits will be made to the schools the truants attended or where they were placed, in order to check their attendance records and defaulting parents will be issued warning letters.

At the beginning of the school year last September, he had warned that, if checks reveal further lapses, the Department of Education will send prosecution summonses to parents.