Local Cane Grove Resident committed to imparting knowledge

GOWCOOMAREE Persaud officially retired from Virginia Nursery School on Monday last, after investing 36 years in the noble teaching profession and the very next day she was gifted with a farewell ceremony as a token of appreciation.

Persaud is also a volunteer who gives back to the community via feeding programmes through Cane Grove Assembly of God Church, which caters for children and the elderly.

The retiree told the Pepperpot Magazine that the brothers and sisters from Canada would contribute towards the feeding programme and goodies for the children.

She related that 73 hampers were distributed to seniors during Christmas and 120 gift bags were handed out to children in the community.

Persaud explained that giving was a part of her life and, since she was young, she had her eyes set on becoming a teacher all due to her love for children.

At age 13, she began assisting her neighbours with their children and became a Sunday school teacher at a tender age.

At Virginia Nursery School, there are 77 children on roll and it is one of the model schools which is clean, tidy and everything well put together with trees and a lot of flowers in the compound to add a bit of colour to the environment.

The yard also has a play area with swings, slides and a general playground for the children. Inside the school building is an organised space with a lot of learning concepts to stimulate the children’s ability to learn.

Virginia Nursery School is a well-kept school and one of the cleanest, all thanks to the head teacher, Persaud, for keeping everything in check and upgraded.

“If something is broken, I would fix it without even informing the Ministry of Education; I like to get things done quickly for the benefit of the children and teachers here at the school and we maintain the yard and building to the best of our ability,” she said.

Persaud told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is all about serving her community and giving back is etched in her life and has gained the respect of all in her village over the years.

She spends most of her time working with slow learners and would do all paperwork for villagers free of cost and assist in anything possible.

“I love teaching and I want what is best for all children. I invest in them and I have seen the fruits of my labour in their success and I am here for that purpose, to do my best and to serve,” she said.

Persaud revealed that the nursery school as first housed in the Cane Grove Anglican Church building and on the lower flat, a little space since the primary school was also there.

She explained that there was a need for a building and an application was filed for land space within the village which was available and they approached Social Impact Amelioration Program (SIMAP) to fund the cost of the building.

Persaud reported that the Virginia Nursery School was established in 1985 with 70 children and two teachers: Jasmat Hakh and Zairoon Lakhraj.

She stated that, on February 13, 1992, the land application was filed and funding was approved in 1997 at a cost of $9.3M and they had some sponsors for an additional $625,000 to fully complete the building.

Persaud added that the school building, a flat concrete building, was handed over on November 27, 1998.

In giving a background on how she became a teacher, Persaud explained that when the school was housed in the Cane Grove Anglican Church, she used to visit to lend a helping hand since the two teachers were overwhelmed with 70 children then.

After she was encouraged to apply for the teaching position, she received a favourable response and thence started her career in the teaching profession and went on to qualify herself at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) and later at the University of Guyana (UG).

Persaud began teaching on October 9, 1986, spent 36 years in the profession, and retired on January 31, 2023.

“Being humble, kind and doing what you have to at your best was what kept me going and I will always cherish the time I had and the cleaners always kept the place clean and tidy while the teachers cooperated in getting everything organised,” she said.

Persaud related that the cleaners, Maesha David and Javana Simon are the ladies who take care of the place making it spic and span.
“When teaching is in your blood it’s hard to let go so I will be opening my own private school sometime after getting some rest first,” she joked.