THE recent occurrences at the Christ Church Secondary School and The Bishop’s High School should be seriously examined by those in authority and ought to be of great concern to all stakeholders.

Clearly, there is mischief afoot and everything possible should be done to protect the future of the nation’s children and expose the intellectual authors and their accomplices.
An attack on a school is an attack on all of us.

The devastating fire at Christ Church is heartbreaking. Unlike the previous school fires, this one was maliciously set. Less than a week prior, smoke was spotted coming from the building and the fire service was contacted. Quick work by firefighters prevented a disaster.

Fire investigators subsequently concluded that that fire was caused by a chemical reaction combustion. All chemicals were later removed from the building and the school was inspected and certified by the Government Electrical Inspectorate.

Days later, fire fighters rushed to the school after receiving a report; this time, they met thick smoke and flames. The school, which is mostly built of wood, stood no chance. In no time, it was flattened. All that remains is a small portion at the front and a huge billboard which was installed years ago in honour of former West Indies cricket captain and old student, Carl Hooper.

Further, both fires occurred long after school had ended for the day. No reports have surfaced about any teacher or student being in the school at the time of either incidents.
Earlier this week, the fire service confirmed the lingering suspicions of many: The second fire was an act of arson.

“… taking into consideration the time of day that both fires occurred (16:29 hours and 17:22 hours), coupled with the fact that the second fire had several points of origin (seats), it is the determination of the Guyana Fire Service that the fire was maliciously set by person or persons unknown,” the fire service said in a media release.

Clearly, those behind this sickening crime wanted to ensure that nothing was left standing.
The conspiracy theorists were wide awake and had lots to say about the “motive” behind the second fire. They did not condemn what has transpired and they did not urge the police to go after those responsible. Instead, they spewed nonsensical comments which suggested that the school was destroyed for economic gain.

Subject minister, Priya Manickchand, has since called for there to be legislative changes to punish those who commit such crimes.
“I repeat: each person who destroys a school and/or any author of said destruction once found guilty ought to be given life imprisonment. We need to legislate accordingly,” she said in a Facebook post.

Minister Manickchand, who has been very proactive and engaging since taking office in August 2020, along with her team, worked around the clock with parents to find an urgent solution which would cause the least amount of disruption for the students.

It was decided that the affected students will be housed at CPCE, not far from the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen campus.

Some of those who reside outside of Georgetown have opted to be transferred to an ‘A’ school close to their homes. This in itself could cause some psychological damage, as they will now have to adapt to a new environment, make new friends and build relationships with new teachers.

The misfortune that has befallen the students of this city school is sad and tragic.
Subsequent to release of the fire investigators’ findings regarding Christ Church, The Bishop’s High School became a target. First, it was a false fire report. Hours later, just after the commencement of the morning session, a teacher was informed via telephone that a bomb was planted in the school.

Hundreds of students and their teachers exited as quickly as they could and made their way to Parade Ground. Firefighters and members of the bomb squad combed the school and as expected, found nothing.

The use of the school system to advance an agenda or to create mischief, should not be tolerated. It is vile and sickening to target the institutions which are responsible for educating children, for turning them into doctors, lawyers, presidents and community leaders.

The police investigators now have the task of finding these mischief makers. In so doing, no stone should be left unturned. We must not rest until all the culprits are behind bars.