The Ministry of Education’s Schools Welfare Department is making positive strides to aid in the improvement of education by fulfilling its ultimate mandate.
The department has been in operation since in the 1960s, and sees welfare officers going into communities, seeking out children who are not attending school regularly.
Welfare Officers were introduced into the system to help both parents and children in communities throughout Guyana, according to Chief Welfare Officer, Ms. Carol Melville.
She indicated that the main role of the officers is to ensure that all school children attend school. Children are expected to make 75 percent in attendance every week; and if this is not met, the officers must carry out the necessary interventions. They also give support to parents, children and the community.
Besides checking school attendance, concerned citizens usually call the Welfare Department to report truancy in their communities.
Ms. Melville has observed that some people are not taking education seriously. When a person (parent) is visited by welfare officers for acts of truancy, he/she is first issued with a warning letter. If the warning isnot heeded after a follow up, the parent is  placed before the court.
According to the Education Act, if the parent fails to educate the child, that is to send the child to school, that parent can be placed before the court.
When the parent is taken to court, the magistrate will give an order that the child be sent to school within proximity of the home. Failing to carry out the magistrate’s instructions can result in the parent being placed before the magistrate again and charged.
This was seen recently in Region 6, where several parents were taken before the magistrate for failing to educate their children.
Ms. Benn stated that since the truancy campaigns increased, fewer children are being picked up by the officers and parents are getting the message about the importance of having their children in school.
She further stated that Guidance and Counselling Officers were recently employed by the ministry to carry out intense counselling sessions with specific children.

In cases where the child may be experiencing other social problems, the child is referred to the relevant authorities.
Besides carrying out truancy campaigns, the Welfare Department is involved in home visits, networking with other social service agencies, parent sensitisation, talks with children, visits to schools, and community outreach programmes.
The Welfare Department is following the mandate of the Ministry of Education, which is to ensure that every child throughout Guyana receives quality education and fosters nation building. (GINA)