SCORES of parents who have children attending the private Al Madinah Academy at Anna Regina in Region Two, protested on Friday, airing their views on the current administration of the school.

Armed with placards, parents protested for a change in the board of directors and for the resignation of principal of the school. Some of their placards read: “We Demand a new school board”, “We need Shazzad, Faoud, Zalenena and Sala”; “The Principal must go”; “Our children kicked out of school because of poverty”; “Oh Allah, we seek your intervention,” amongst others.

Leading the protest was a parent, Anad Azad, who said that their views must be heard since they are not satisfied with the current administration of the school. Azad, speaking on behalf of parents, said that the school lacks trained teachers and oftentimes children are sent home due to lack of funds. The parent related that a new principal recently took over approximately three months ago and within weeks, several secondary teachers had walked off the job. He described the principal’s leadership as autocratic.

Azad said the current principal is not working in the best interest of the school and children are left to suffer. “Last week, children were sent home because their parents did not pay their fees; the children are now at home going to the “backdam.” This was not why the school was established; the board of directors were informed and none of them did anything,” Azad alleged.

Another parent, who spoke anonymously, said that she has five children attending the school and she is not satisfied with the current leaders. She added that members of the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) do not have a voice in the school and everything they do must be approved by the board.

“If parents want to do a fund-raising, they have to consult the board; if we want do something for the school, everything has to pass through the board, which sometimes take forever to approve, this was never so in the past,” the parent said.

The parent also said that most of the directors who sit on the school board are out of Essequibo and therefore called for Essequibians to take up positions. Parents are also calling on the Ministry of Education and other relevant authorities to look into the matter.

The school was established in 2001 by former Regional Executive Officer Shaffeek Khan.

Other founders included the deceased Answar Ally and Shazad Ally. The school has a population of 200 children who are taught at both the primary and secondary levels. On a weekly basis, parents pay $4000 per child for primary and $5000 per secondary. The school also has a bus service, which transports the children to and from school.