Truancy campaign…
THE truancy campaign being conducted by the Education Ministry, under the theme ‘Operation Care, every child our responsibility’ nabbed 15 school age children, at Mibicuri, Yakusari and Lesbeholden, in Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice,Wednesday.

The main objective of the School Welfare Service initiative is to ensure that all school age children attend classes regularly and that parents and guardians are educated about their responsibility to them.

The exercise followed the recent visit to the area by President Bharrat Jagdeo during a Cabinet outreach but the team was unable to cover Johanna, also in Black Bush, because of time.

Other constraints were the weather, the rice cultivation season, which made muddied dams traversed by the tractors difficult to access.

The monthly cluster or workshops for teachers also resulted in morning sessions only at the four primary schools in Black Bush.

At Lesbeholden, where mini-buses were transporting the Education Ministry officers, accompanied by Police Force and the media, one truant was on a tractor going into a rice field and two others were apprehended as they were about to enter a car proceeding to the backlands.

A 12-year-old from the group, tearfully lamented that it was his first visit to Black Bush and his older cousin had abandoned him to escape being caught.

According to the pre-teen, he hails from Limlair Village and is the eldest of three children, whose only parent at home was the mother.

He said he previously attended Winifred Gaskin Secondary School but it was costing too much, $200 a day, while his younger brother and sister attend a nursery school nearby.

In Mibicuri, a 13-year-old was fishing for hassars but fled when School Welfare Officer Alfa Mohammed approached him, before he was captured after a 500 metres chase.

His mother claimed he was afflicted with diarrhoea and fever and should have been at home while she attended to their farm.

Only one girl was among those arrested, including two repeat offenders and their parents were served with warning letters.

Other School Welfare Officer Dinesh Prashad urged all parents to assume their responsibility and make sure their offspring are educated.

Meanwhile the officials have called on employers to desist from employing under age persons, which constitutes child labour.

Senior Welfare Officer Jainarine Singh commented that the main cause of truancy in Black Bush is negligence, single parenthood and poverty.

He said the drive, with School Welfare Officer Merlyn Alphonso also involved, will continue in more Berbice communities.