SCHOOLS countrywide reopened yesterday after the Christmas holidays and while the streets of Georgetown were not as congested with traffic and schoolchildren, as usual, classes resumed as usual. 

In Guyana, it has been a tradition for parents not to send them to school in the first week of the new term or the children opting to stay home, since according to the latter, not much happens within that week.
However, the Ministry of Education has, in the past ensured that teachers are present and work commences as any other normal school day.
A slow but sure developing tradition at the Ministry or at least under the present Education Minister, Ms. Priya Manickchand has been unannounced visits to schools on first days, although it cannot be confirmed if any such visits were made yesterday.
The Guyana Chronicle focused some attention on the first day of 2014 back to school movement but, because of the restrictions which prevent media operatives from accessing public schools, shots in classrooms were restricted to those which are not controlled by the ministry.

At Stella Maris Nursery permission was not granted because there was a request by the Education Department for a letter to be sent from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry.
The move to Marian Academy, on Carifesta Avenue, also in Georgetown, found students already in classrooms and some teachers at the chalkboards while others interacted with their students. In one of the lower classes, the pupils were being made familiar with the New Year and month.
Accepts children
The Marian Academy is administered by Christians but accepts children from across the political, racial and ethnic divides and, despite the religious guidelines by which the school operates; the teachers also are drawn from the cross-section.

On Thomas Lands students of the Colaaco School, which is administered by the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) were getting ready for the first session of the new school year.
Before classes officially started yesterday morning, teachers took the children through a physical exercise session that proved to be a challenge for some of the young ones while others appeared to be all excited about the action.

The final stop on the tour was on East Street ISA School where classes were in full session. That, like the other two, is not controlled by the Education Ministry but by the Guyana Islamic Trust.
In one classroom a student communicated with his peers in Arabic while the teacher sat listening. However, despite the religious control, it is also staffed by Christian and Hindu teachers.

(By LeroySmith)