Chief Education Officer tells CoI

  former Home Affairs PS says no agency lacked funding

REVIVING the education sector has proven difficult, due to the immense neglect by the previous government, according to Chief Education Officer (CEO) Saddam Hussain.

On Tuesday, the CEO testified under oath at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the devastating fire at the Mahdia dormitory that claimed the lives of some 20 children.

Hussain discussed in detail how the previous government eliminated specific assessments designed to maintain a certain standard at these facilities. According to the CEO, this analysis commenced between 2011 and 2014, but was terminated when the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) left office.

To this, he remarked: “That was not a priority of that [APNU+AFC] government.”

Hussain attributed the deteriorated state of the dormitories to the negligence of the previous administration, not the current government.

“The dorms did not come [to] what they are in 2020. It is [because of] a long series of neglect,” he related.

Additionally, Hussain clarified that the reports sent to the Ministry of Education (MoE) regarding the Mahdia dormitories didn’t include requests for fire protection, but instead focused on expansion.

“In that report none of them said that there were issues with fire extinguishers and firefighting tools… Each one of them said that there was a need for expansion,” he reported.

As a result of the devastating Mahdia fire, he explained how school dormitories underwent inspections and implemented stringent safety measures.

“One of the first things that followed the fire…[is] the Ministry Of Home Affairs, went ahead and did an inspection of every single dorm in the country…. That list was submitted to the Ministry of Education,” he said, adding that the Home Affairs Ministry even procured some fire-prevention tools such as fire balls.

The CEO then went on to say: “Every single dormitory facility has [now] been equipped with the necessary fire equipment…”

When questioned about what measures were taken to improve the conditions of the facilities, he said: “No steps were taken in 2017, 2018, 2019 [and] 2020… From September to December 2020, that’s when the discussion began about the status of all the dorms and so within a matter of 18 months, we were able to begin work…”

According to him, over 70 per cent of dormitories have started rehabilitation or are already finished, except in Region Two where staffing and fire equipment are pending.

Hussain also said: “Generally, the Ministry [of Education] only has the authority over policy,” while underlining that the MoE cannot tell any school how to utilise their funds and care of facilities.

SUFFICIENTLY FUNDED

Meanwhile, Former Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Home Affairs Ministry and current MoE PS, Mae Toussaint Jr. Thomas noted that no efforts were spared when it came to ensuring that the needs of agencies, in this case, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), were met.

While testifying under oath, she revealed that the GFS was not deprived of funding.

“Each agency, in this particular instance, the Fire [Service], they have to tell us what is required of their agency and once it is there…we will take it to the Ministry of Finance and we will defend it at the level of Parliament,” she said.

Furthermore, Thomas pointed out that the requirements of those agencies are not solely based on budgetary requests, but also on inspections carried out by Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn.

“We would always have a first-hand approach with our minister and regular discussions. Whatever any of the agencies were lacking under the Ministry of Home Affairs, in this particular case, the Guyana Fire Service, and we would have made for it,” she said.

Thomas stressed the ministry’s open-door policy, emphasizing the inclusivity and responsiveness required due to the unpredictable nature of emergencies.

“The door was always there,” Thomas related.

On May 22, the country was plunged into mourning after the fire, which the authorities later determined was maliciously set, ravaged the dormitory.

At the time of the fire, 56 of the girls were present, as three had gone home to their families for the weekend.

The children housed there were from Karisparu, El Paso, Micobie, and Chenapau, all remote communities in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Several of the survivors were airlifted to Georgetown for emergency care. One critically injured girl was medevacked to a New York health facility for further treatment, and has since been released.

The CoI is tasked with investigating and reporting on the events leading up to the dormitory fire, as well as the causes. Additionally, the CoI will examine the actions taken to provide care, medical attention, and support to the injured and deceased and their relatives in a timely manner.