THE Ministry of Education (MoE) said that the closure of Central High School has been put on hold following a meeting with key stakeholders.

In a terse statement, the ministry said it is currently exploring other avenues to have the children of that institution housed comfortably. This position follows a meeting with the Central High School Board, the Parent Teachers Association (PTA), representatives of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and officials of the MoE.

Last week, the Board of Directors of the school had called on the ministry to clear the air on the future of the school, since they were informed that the institution will soon be moved from its location at Smyth Street, Georgetown. Officials of the school were informed that the ministry has plans to “phase out” the school but students and teachers were not told where they will be housed once the process commences.

“We had several meetings with ministry officials… last year we met with the current Minister of Education but we have not heard anything positive as to where they are going,” Chairperson of the school’s Board of Directors, Ruth Howard said on a picket line last Wednesday.

On that day members of the school’s board and parents had conducted a peaceful protest in front of the Ministry of Education on Brickdam. Howard had said then that the protest was their last recourse in an attempt to get the attention of the ministry and other relevant authorities. She said too, that the school’s performance at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) exam has been exceptional for the past few years.

“In addition, we have suggested to them to move us to the Enterprise Primary School which was built for 1000 students but only has 200 students… that idea was rejected,” she lamented. Howard said parents of the over 1000 students at the school are beginning to worry about the future of the school and their children. She urged the ministry to meet with them and talk about the plans for the future.