What is going on at Berbice High?

May 21, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
Berbice High School featured prominently in the news recently, when a teacher there gave a thrashing to some 28 students for not submitting an SBA assignment.
This beating brought an irate response from some of the parents of those involved to the point that the Minister of Education was called in to take action. He responded by sacking the teacher a decision he later rescinded to having her make an apology to the students as well as forego two years of promotion.

There are certain elements of this story that have me deeply disturbed. Firstly, why did the Minister have to intervene into a matter that simply called for an apology from the teacher who over extended herself, clearly no one was hurt or injured by the flogging.
Is there a medical report somewhere from any of the victims? Certainly not! So why did he intervene. I conducted my own investigation into this matter and found out that it was the action of some of the parents of those aggrieved who exerted pressure on the Minister to act; these parents I was told are members of the PPP party.

Shame on you Shaik! You have allowed your reputation as a fair and honest politician to be denigrated to one of a spineless person. You have allowed a few misguided parents to have you behave like a coward. I am a PPP supporter but not for one moment would I allow my party affiliation to cloud my judgement. Come on Shaik we came up under a system of strict discipline, which at times necessitated a good old Guyanese “cut ass” whenever we stepped out of line. It never killed us so why the fuss.

Now look what you have caused, a bunch of youth who cannot be controlled; a crop of indisciplined youngsters, who are meeting out violence to their teachers something unheard of at Berbice High.
I am a proud product of Berbice High, it is my Alma Mater and I am very much concerned with the goings on there. As I write this article I am livid with anger. I do hope you quickly intervene and correct this grave injustice to the teachers of this school.
Neil Adams