…RDC sets up taskforce to fix problems in sector

CHAIRMAN of the Upper Demerara Berbice Region, Renis Morian, on Thursday, announced that a taskforce will be established to bring solutions to the plethora of challenges facing the education system in the region, particularly dealing with the conditions teachers and students are forced to perform under.

Even after a two-month holiday break, visits to some of the schools in Region Ten, during this first week, showed that basic issues such as the condition of the compound, provision of adequate furnishing amongst other things, were not addressed. The visibly frustrated Regional Chairman expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the education system is being handled at the regional level, which is making central government, the tier providing all the budgeted funds for these issues to be addressed, look bad. “I want a taskforce, I want to look at the critical condition of our schools, weeding, toilet facilities, the whole general ambiance of the schools, the conditions that the schools are in…once we have the total picture for each school, it puts the administration, it puts the Council in a better position, step by step to address it” he said.

The taskforce will include members from the Education Committee and the Public Works Committee and physical checks will be made at the various schools to identify what are the pressing issues that need addressing urgently. Morian argued that after two months, the basic needs of schools should have been met: provision of water and furniture and a clean compound but, unfortunately, many schools are lacking in these areas at the start of the term. Checks to Mackenzie Primary School revealed that the compound was filled with weeds and Councillors even sighted a snake running into the compound. The Mackenzie High School’s compound also had high weeds, the Chairman related. “That is why I am asking what agenda is being pushed right now; the government sending money to clean the schools, somebody cutting the money, now school is opened, just as the children step outside, tall, tall grass. I am concerned that this RDC and the Department of Education; they don’t have the same agenda, like we have a different agenda. I certainly feel so because if the government releases money to clean these schools, the problem we have right now should not happen,” the Chairman argued.

The lack of furniture at the various schools should not be an issue since the very same furniture is available in the regional bond. On the first day of school, Morian said that first formers at the Mackenzie High School were crying out for furniture. Upon visiting the bond, he was surprised to see furniture sitting there. “The government is spending too much money to have what we are having here; sometimes I want to know if we have the same agenda, or we have competing agenda…I shouldn’t be going to the bond to see furniture. When school is opened and there are schools asking for furniture, why the furniture still in the bond? We can’t manage government’s funding, taxpayers’ money in this way, that is why I want to know if all of we are on the same page, or if we have competing agendas going on here…the bond must be empty,” he stated.

The Regional Chairman said that the situation should be addressed by next week or recommendations for those responsible for such negligence at the Department of Education will be made for them to leave. The move to have a taskforce established was accepted by the Councillors present who also expressed their frustration over the situation which, they said, is an aged-old one.