MINISTER of Education, Priya Manickchand has expressed disgust at an article published in the September 11 edition of the Kaieteur News about the temporary closure of the Moleson Creek Primary School which featured a front page picture of 14 children.

The article headlined “What is the truth? – ministry says closure because only two school aged children in area, but residents bring out 14” claimed that there are more than two children available to attend the Moleson Creek Primary School but the ministry still chose to close the institution.
Ms. Manickchand was particularly upset that the faces of 14 young children were printed on the front page of Kaieteur News, which is a breach of an important principle in journalism that restricts the publishing of names and faces of minors.
In addition, with the assistance of Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne) Schools Welfare Officer, Alfa Mohamed and Regional Education Officer, Shafiran Bhajan, she proved that only two of the 14 children in the picture were eligible to attend the Moleson Creek Primary School.

An investigation carried out by the Ministry of Education showed that of the 14 children, four attend the Crabwood Creek Nursery School and are therefore not the required age to enter the Moleson Creek Primary School. Six of the students live in the Jackson Creek area which is closer to Crabwood Creek Primary and hence, attend that school since the ministry places children in the school closest to their homes.
Additionally, two of the students who are from Moleson Creek attend Darul Akram, a private school in Crabwood Creek. That leaves us with two children who are from Moleson Creek and the only two at this time who are eligible to attend the Moleson Creek Primary School. Following the temporary closure of the school, the two boys were relocated to the Crabwood Creek Primary School.
Chief Education Officer (CEO), Olato Sam explained that the Moleson Creek Primary School could not remain open because it did not have the minimum amount of 25 students for enrolment. The school was closed temporarily because the ministry cannot sustain it for only two students.
Regional Education Officer, Shafiran Bhajan advised that teachers are not the issue for the Moleson Creek Primary School. According to her, a teacher is available for that school but could not be placed there to teach only two students.
Ms. Manickchand further stated that if Kaieteur News continues to report in this manner, she will put a temporary halt on engagements with the publication. She reiterated that she, the CEO and the Permanent Secretary are available 24 hours every day to answer questions and verify any information before it is published.
According to the minister, the media have a duty to publish facts even when those facts are critical of the ministry and/or government. However, she believes that it was beyond carelessness for the Editor and management of Kaieteur News to allow the picture to be published without the information being properly verified.
“It is destructive of a country, it is destructive to the people of a country when newspapers and publications start making up stories just so that they can sell newspapers; or start twisting the truth of stories, or publishing a twisted truth simply because they did not take the time to confirm whether the stories they plan to publish are true,” she said.