RESIDENTS of Aishalton are peeved that the Ministry of Education has failed to rectify inefficiencies at the Aishalton Secondary School and dormitory, even after the Toshao wrote to the Ministries of Education and Amerindian Affairs and the Regional Democratic Council, highlighting students’ plights.

The letter was sent following the death of three students last year according to reliable sources, whom residents assumed had run away from school for several reasons, including shortage of food, harsh living conditions, and bullying by older students.
Last year, three boys perished in a sand pit not too far from the school, sending shockwaves through the Region 9 community. This attempt to shed some much needed light on the current situation of this school and further discussion must first point out that a policy decision is in place to avoid further occurrence and urgent extensive research, debate and consultation with various education stakeholders should be held.
The recent swirl of opinions in the community of Aishalton highlights the fact that there is still widespread misunderstanding and no attempt by the Ministry of Education to correct this situation.
The boys’ actions were not surprising to residents since during that particular week in November, there were four similar attempts to flee the dormitories by other students.
However, their deaths have left residents with the desire to see changes in the school and dormitory management.
According to a resident, the absence of a Head Teacher; inadequate food supply; poor dormitory management; insufficient water supply and sexual activities are some of the challenges students face, especially those who reside in the dormitories, encounter.
At the level of the senior management team of the ministry there was no concurrence, after evaluating all the existing data, on a new and best pathway to embark on to improve the school.
“Since that incident occurred, nothing has changed. The dorm parents remain the same and children continue to leave the school compound whenever they feel like. The Ministry of Education hasn’t even sent a Head Teacher; that young teacher cannot teach and manage the school at the same time,” he stated.
The man related that food has always been a problem in the school and this is appalling, since farming is a major economic activity of Amerindian communities. He added that years ago, a Dorm Mother resigned because she refused to prepare “next to nothing” for students to consume.
The resident noted the inadequate management by House Parents has led to the older students bullying the younger ones, and sexual misconduct in the dormitory. He emphasised that recently, condoms and nude pictures were found in the dormitory. These occurrences have made elders feel uncomfortable and worried about the safety of their children.
The man stressed that the Parent/Teachers’ Association needs to have a stronger voice in the management of the school, and the Regional Education Officer should constantly monitor the institution’s activities, since there is no Head Teacher.
A few weeks ago, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, in a press statement, had assured that the Ministries of Education, Amerindian Affairs and Local Government are embarking on a detailed examination of the status of hinterland secondary schools with particular focus on the provision of services at and the expansion of dorms for Guyana’s children.
It is important to emphasise that the issue of repetition should not be considered in isolation, but should certainly be viewed within the context of related variables such as overall student performance, classroom delivery strategies and secondary dropout rates in the hinterland.
There was ample evidence that many within the ministry, stuck in the outmoded, traditional approach to education, still regarded student failure as the student’s “fault” and never adopted strategies aimed at identifying and eradicating the problems.
Parent–teacher and Ministry of Education conferences and consistent performance update are now required of Aishalton Secondary School to inform parents of their children’s performance so any deficiencies could be collectively addressed.