By Vanessa Braithwaite

PRIMARY and nursery schools in riverine villages located up the Upper Berbice River in Region 10 are said to be very severely understaffed. In fact, according to Regional Democratic Councillors of Region 10, who recently paid a visit up the river, the Kalkuni Primary School with a population of over 80 students is being manned by one teacher who is tasked with overseeing the school and teaching the children ranging from Grades one to six. In other villages such as Wairuni and Ebini, there are only two and three teachers. The issue was raised at the recently held statutory meeting, where the officials bemoaned the situation as the children are tremendously suffering as a result of the lack of staff. According to Regional Education Officer, Marcia Paddy, teachers residing in Linden and Kwakwani have been posted to these schools but have refused to take up their posts, citing several reasons for not doing so. “As soon as they are called they come with a document stating that they have a hole in their heart, asthmatic problems, back problems… you name it… and these documents are being signed by the Mackenzie Hospital Complex,” Paddy stressed at a recently held education consultation.
She said that the situation is unbecoming,as there are several schools in Linden that are significantly overstaffed while schools in the remote areas are understaffed. Paddy revealed that to tackle the issue, payment to these teachers will cease in January. Paddy said that on Wednesday, the teachers were informed of the decision made and will be replaced if they do not take up their posts.
Regional Chairman Renis Morian who also bemoaned the situation said that the Regional Education Department also has to put systems in place to have these teachers reside in comfort and have all the basic necessities needed both in the schools and in the living quarters.
No senior personnel
Meanwhile, the Council was also told of the absence of a senior official who should be residing in one of these communities and who should be overlooking the administration of schools in the Berbice River. It was revealed that this senior official is however stationed at the Education Office in Linden, rather than taking up her post. Morian said that after the budget, that official will have to take up her post or will reap the consequences of not doing so. “The RDC will not accept all these excuses because come January, is either she moves there or she move out of here,” Morian exclaimed. He said that the teachers will be referred to the Teaching Service Commission if they do not cooperate. “We are going to make big, big noise on this publicly, because we look at our results in certain areas and we in past 25%.”
Councillor Charles Sampson commenting on the issue expressed dissatisfaction with the education situation in the riverine communities and stressed that more respect should be given to Amerindian residents residing in these areas. “We cannot continue treating the riverine areas the way we are treating them…we have to deliver and if we have to deliver we have to start now fixing the system,” Sampson said. These issues were raised at the recently held Education Commission of Inquiry in Linden and Chairman of the Commission, Ed Caesar, had taken the issues raised to the relevant authorities to have them addressed.