ONE parent will soon be charged with parental neglect and failure to educate her child and three were referred to the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security for probation services following a national truancy campaign held by the Ministry of Education yesterday. A team comprising a number of Probation and Social Services officers from the Child Protection Unit, two officers from the Human Services Ministry, one from the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), and other guidance and counseling officers, conducted part of the campaign at Timehri, East Bank Demerara.
The officers carried out a diligent search for school-aged children who were kept at home by their parents because of poverty, illness and relocation, among other reasons. The officers worked tirelessly in finding the children, conducting a house to house exercise. They were well-dressed with comfortable footwear that took them up and down the hills in their search.
Their hard work yesterday resulted in their contacting some 62 children, some of whom were taken into a bus by the officers to the Timehri Primary School, which served as the base for the exercise. Contact was then made with their parents who subsequently turned up to collect them  and answer the officers’ questions.
Mini campaigns of this nature are held for two hours every day, targeting specific areas; but national campaigns are held once or twice in every school term. Some of the areas visited yesterday were the Fire Station Area, the Hyde Park Area and the Timehri Prison Area.
The officers stopped residents and inquired whether or not they knew of any children who were at home during school hours, and whenever they found a case that they could not handle, it was referred to the Human Services Ministry, which was then tasked with preparing probation reports.
During yesterday’s exercise, many children said they were at home because their school was facilitating the Caribbean Council Examinations. The school employed a shift system where the children were required to be at school on certain days only.
The officers, whose aim is to work at getting children back into school, do not give tangible assistance but would point families in the direction they ought to go to receive assistance. In addition, residents were asked questions and were offered advice on the way forward.
One officer explained to a parent, who kept two of her children at home for one month, that it was her duty to educate her children.
Chief School’s Welfare Officer, Ms Carol Melville, said the team had discussions with parents and gave them fliers and posters. From yesterday’s exercise, she said there were two cases where children were left alone at home by their parents.
She explained that the absenteeism rate is very high in this area, and so the officers will return next week.
Melville added that the Ministry will look into acquiring more officers for the fields and he commended the Timehri Primary School for providing helpful information in locating the children.
Headmistress at Timehri Primary School, Ms Verina Layne, in an invited comment, told this newspaper that the exercise is usually very effective and one that should be done more often.
It demonstrates the coordination between the schools and the School’s Welfare Department, she said, adding that the absenteeism affects the school’s attendance, performance and general image, subsequent to which she is made to submit reasons for low performance.
Ms Layne is of the view that parents must be made aware that there are consequences for keeping their children at home, adding that while she does not support locking them up when they are found, they must be trained and educated to deal with the issues.
She disclosed that her school is currently putting together a team to do home visits, but observed that one of the problems encountered is a shortage of staff.
Philip Anthony, from the Human Services Ministry, told the Guyana Chronicle that he found the campaign good overall.
He said parents were informed on several issues and those who were ill or are single parents were helped to benefit from public assistance after relating their problems to the officers. “Our aim when we go out, is to help, not to get at parents,” he said.