SEVEN ‘Year One’ and ‘Year Two’ students from the Essequibo Technical Institute [ETI] on the Essequibo Coast, who were selected from their school to attend a six-week work study programme at the Barama Company Buck Hall operations were on Monday reportedly sent back home when they arrived to start their training and they were not afforded any explanations by the company.

Some of the students said they have turned down jobs in order to attend the work study programme and are calling on the Ministry of Education to launch a full investigation into the matter.
Reports said students from Wakenaam Island and Bartica were accepted while those from the Essequibo Coast were rejected.
The disappointed students said they were told by company officials at Buck Hall, Essequibo River, that they  could not be accepted for the work study programme and were sent back home without any money to pay transportation costs.
According to the students, they had utilised their little savings to purchase cases, bags and new clothes to attend the six-week work study programme and were shocked when officials of the company rejected them upon their arrival at the Buck Hall operations in the Essequibo River.
The students said the ETI and Barama Company have an arrangement in place to train students of the institution at the Buck Hall operations. They said also that the ETI Principal, Mr. Turner (only name given) made them fill up and sign forms related to their attendance at the work study programme.
According to the students, they were treated unfairly by company officials who did not care to give them explanations for their rejection.
One student said a female officer of the company at Buck Hall was very dismissive when she asked about transportation to return to Supenaam. According to the student, the officer said she even don’t have transportation for herself much less the students.
The students said they managed to secure transportation to Supenaam on their return trip via a boat that was transporting a company official to the coast.