Dear Editor,
IT IS encouraging that the Stabroek News, in its Editorial on April 23, 2019, sought to comment on the initiative of the Ministry of Education to host Town Hall meetings, which are designed to engage parents, teachers and community stakeholders.

Please permit the Ministry of Education space within your letters pages to provide some clarity on the matter of Town Hall Meetings hosted by the Ministry across Guyana. The Ministry of Education has commenced its second round of Town Hall meetings, scheduled for the eleven education districts during the period April 4 – June 13, 2019. The first set of meetings were held in 2018.

These meetings are among the many activities planned by the Ministry to sensitise the general public on the roles and functions of Parent Teachers’ Associations (PTAs) and to encourage parents to embrace home-school collaboration through the various mediums available to them. It also seeks to encourage members of the community to play a greater role in the affairs of schools within their communities.

The Ministry acknowledges the fact that support for PTAs varies from community to community, according to the values, culture and knowledge of people. It is against this fact that the holding of Town Hall Meetings has found its way among the many activities on the Ministry’s calendar to bring awareness to the general public about the roles and functions of PTAs.

The Ministry of Education is also cognisant that while the Town Hall Meetings might not be as intimate as the Parent Conferences held in all schools countrywide, many parents and community members prefer to highlight issues and raise concerns at this forum rather than at the general meetings at school.

So, while the Town Hall Meetings might not seem to be the best method, in the opinion of some, it surely is one of the strategies the Ministry will continue to use to get the attention of the general public. Further, visits to any school, whether in the hinterland or coastland, will reveal several distinct strategies employed by school administrators to engage and involve parents in the school life of their children.

However, some parents are not using the opportunities to their advantage. While there can be several reasons for this, the evidence would have shown that only one set of parents are really involved, and those are the parents whose children perform well and are often the most disciplined. The parents of children who need the attention seldom attend meetings.

It must also be noted that the misconception that PTAs only exist to raise funds for school spending is gaining momentum, and the Ministry will continue to ensure that information is available to parents by all means necessary. Our mission is, “If they are not coming to the schools, we are going to the villages”.

Finally, all regions are responsible for coordinating activities which will adequately address specific areas of need, and give critical support to parents and teachers within the region.

It is the duty of Central Ministry to give support to the regions through additional activities such as Town Hall Meetings and Community Outreach Programmes. The office of the school support unit does not only exist for dealing with parents and teachers’ concerns and conflicts, but also to give technical support by organising activities which seek to foster healthy relationships between home and school.
Regards,
Public Relations Department,
Ministry of Education.