…indigenous leaders reject explanation by school

THE explanation offered by the administration of Mae’s Schools regarding the issue of discrimination against a child of Indigenous Heritage was shot down by the child’s mother, Karen Small, and members of the indigenous community who said the explanation was nothing but “fluff.”

On Thursday, they picketed in front of the school for a second time, as they renewed calls for Mae’s to issue a public apology. On Tuesday, hours after the first picketing exercise, Mae’s broke its silence on the issue, saying that clear guidelines were issued for its May 25, 2018 Cultural Day event. According to the school, ahead of the event the children were told that plain t-shirts and tights/shorts should be worn under clothes that would otherwise expose them. But a notice sent to parents, had no such information. In fact, the letter advised parents that children would be allowed to wear an ethnic outfit of their choice but when nine-year-old Joshua Chacon turned up at the school in a traditional indigenous outfit, he was reportedly told that it was unacceptable.

Small, while standing on the picketing line, expressed disappointment in the school’s reaction to the concerns she raised, saying that instead of issuing a public apology Mae’s is attempting to discredit her reports.
“I am very disappointed, although I knew that they would not want to come and accept they are wrong. Who wants to accept that they are wrong? But at the same time as an institution, you would expect better,” Small said.

Well-known broadcaster, Merrano Isaacs, described the explanation offered by the school as “fluff”. “In my long years of training I have always been told to follow the paper trail and what is in black and white, and that is what we are seeing in black and white…The explanation is riddled with fluff or the statement or whatever they have issued, its filled with fluff and I don’t buy it, and I think they should have just apologised,” Isaacs told this newspaper. He emphasised that to issue an apology would be the proper thing to do.
Erika Daniels, who stood on the picketing line for a second day, said the administration of Mae’s Schools seems not to get the point. “Apart from the apology we want them to change their whole position on what is culturally acceptable and what is not,” she said.
Daniels said the indigenous community will not be silent on the issue and will continue to protest until their voices are heard. Aside from the school, she said picketers are also aiming to get the attention of the Ministry of Social Cohesion. “The ministry was formed to ensure that there isn’t racial divide and cultural divide but this is clear cultural divide and racial divide. What is the ministry doing?”

Anchor and Television Producer, Natasha Smith said the statement issued by the school on Tuesday should have been issued a long time ago. Nonetheless, she, like other picketers, contended that the school was dishonest in the statement issued, on the basis that it largely contradicted the letter which was issued to parents in May, ahead of the Culture Day event.

“We also feel that the mood of the letter is not very apologetic. I don’t think they realise that what they did was wrong and that they hurt that little boy and the race of indigenous people in Guyana and unless they realise what they did, I don’t think they will be willing to apologise but we need an apology,” Smith said. She added that if the school fails to offer an apology, they will “keep up” the protest.

Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) official Michael McGarrell said, he is somewhat disappointed in the way the matter is being handled at the level of the government.
“I am not satisfied by the approach. I think what should have happened immediately was a taskforce should have been set up with all the ministries that are directly involved with it – Ministry of Education, Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and Ministry of Social Cohesion – because what I think is happening is that everybody is passing the buck to somebody else, and that will lead us nowhere,” McGarrell opined.
He further suggested that the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry should have been more forceful on the issue. “Additionally, I would have love to see more involvement from the Indigenous Peoples’ Commission in really ascertaining what has happened here, and even more so the Ethnic Relations Commission.”

The APA official said the next step might very well be the filing of a formal complaint against Mae’s to the ERC.