AS a new academic year begins for children, teachers and parents across Guyana, Education Minister Sonia Parag and senior ministry officials visited several schools around Georgetown.
The ministry, over the last month, worked assiduously to ensure that schools were ready for reopening on Monday, guaranteeing washroom facilities that are functional, clean water flowing through the taps, secure guttering, a clean school environment and furnished classrooms for students and teachers’ comfort.
“We are looking at almost 1,200 schools across the country, so it’s not an easy task, and while the government has been investing in infrastructure as well as academic resources, we were able to have textbooks in schools, we were able to have dormitories filled with furniture, as well as classrooms. Those who would have needed repairs, those who would have needed additional furniture, those were made available; and we ensured that we constantly engaged with those officials and through the channels that would be able to have the information available to us,” Minister Parag said.
According to the minister, while there were no delays in the reopening of schools, there are some students and teachers who may have had to be relocated to facilitate ongoing repairs and construction.
She noted that 98 per cent of schools that are re-opened have their students and teachers occupying space at the school.
Providing an example of this, the education minister said there was a consultation that was held with regional officials, parents and teachers of the Airy Hall Nursery School in Region Five, (Mahaica Berbice), for the temporary relocation of its learners to the Mahaicony Technical and Vocational Training Centre for the entirety of the first week of school.
This ensures that although the children won’t be in an unsafe environment, there is no disruption in their learning process.
Minister Parag disclosed that, “to ensure that that happens, consultation was held. We also have Linden where we were fixing a few things with the Mackenzie High School and the LICHAS (Linden Concert Hall and School) facility as well; but even though there have- and I have seen a number of negative narratives going out in relation to those schools- I can tell you that the Regional Education Officer and the REO have been working along with the Ministry of Education to make sure that we make the buildings safe as well as students continuing their learning process.”
The next step is maintenance of all school facilities. Minister Parag assured the public that while all institutions were prepared for reopening on Monday, maintenance crews will be working throughout the year to ensure that if any work (minor or major) needs to be done, it can be.
“I say to the nation, just have a bit of patience with us. We are ensuring that we are working for the betterment of all of our children as well as our teachers and the environment in which they are at in school, and I am asking for cooperation from all stakeholders…we are working with every facility to ensure that it has all of the resources available,” the minister said.
