Dear Editor
A FACT-FINDING exercise was carried out at the Zeeburg Secondary School following a letter that was published in the Guyana Chronicle newspaper on Thursday, February 22nd, 2018, entitled “The nonsense at Zeeburg Secondary School must stop”.

The team that conducted this exercise comprised the regional education officer, two district education officers and the senior schools welfare officer. Both the headteacher and the deputy headteacher were actively involved in the process.

Firstly, there was no barring of students from attending the Career Day activity at the University of Guyana. Secondly, regarding the take-away-lunch activity, students were not required to pay the exorbitant prices for lunch and a drink. The prices quoted in the published letter were grossly inaccurate, since the children paid far less for the items.
Another inaccurate allegation made in the missive is that the headteacher of the school uses her office to run a lucrative ‘cook house,’ while at the same time demanding and squeezing money from parents to sustain this industry at the school.

However, the investigation revealed that the headteacher usually assists the school in the preparation of food whenever there is an activity at the school, which was always done free in order to ‘cut costs’. In some instances, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) supplied the ingredients and the headteacher prepared the food.

Further, as it relates to Fifth Form students being barred from writing their mock exams if they did not ‘pay up’, this is completely false. No student was told that they would be debarred from writing the Grade 11 Mock Examinations if they did not pay. Every child was given an opportunity to write the examinations.
Another inaccuracy was that the decision to change the colour of the school’s uniform was made by the headteacher. The parents made the decision in September 2017 to change the colour to lime green. There was evidence to show that a wide cross-section of the PTA was consulted in the selection process.

As it relates to children being asked to remove their socks if it isn’t black, the school rules clearly state that the girls must wear white socks and the boys must wear black. Any other colour is a contravention of those rules.
The letter also mentioned that certain ethnic groups are being targeted because of their hair and being told to cut it low. An investigation revealed that no child is being targeted because of his/her hairstyle. Students are simply being encouraged to follow the rules of the school.

Additionally, the names of students that have outstanding items for the school were placed on a board at the last PTA meeting. However, this was done in an effort to recover outstanding raffle sheets (for audit purposes) and text books from students who have books from previous grades.

The letter said that parents cannot voice their concerns: this too is furthest from the truth. Parents are always encouraged to voice their concerns. At the last Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting, parents were encouraged to come forward and speak through the microphone, so that everyone could hear their concerns.

Lastly, concerning the allegation that children were seen climbing and clinging to walls to clean the school, this too was disproved by the investigation that was carried out. Students had assisted in the cleaning of the school for Culture Day, in keeping with Standard Operating Procedures. No student was seen climbing and clinging to walls, as they were closely monitored by their class teachers.

Regards
Public Relations Department
Ministry of Education