Mr. Forde’s utterances have no basis and are divorced from the truth

May 22, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I refer to a letter that appeared in the Kaieteur News on 14th May 2010 under the caption, “There’s a problem at this private school”. The private school referred to be Hururu Academy and I wish to set the record straight as the author of that letter, Mr. Ian Forde has distorted the facts in its entirety.
Hururu Academy has its genesis when 25 parents from Hururu and surrounding areas who had children attending Kwakwani Secondary School met with the Village Council and suggested that a secondary school be opened at Hururu. The reasons given were:
1. To eliminate the meals and transportation cost which were excessively high.
2. The school will cater for students from Hururu and surrounding areas.
3. It would allow for easy monitoring and controlling of students’ punctuality, attendance and performance.
4. Eliminate the fatigue suffered by students due to long and often rough travelling distance they must endure daily.
On April 2, 2008 a project proposal was sent to the Regional Education Officer and Regional Democratic Council (Region 10).
In the project proposal it was stated that Hururu Village Council would finance the school with support from parents.
This still obtain. On April 14, 2008 Hururu Academy was opened with 23 students and four teachers (one headmaster, three assistants). One of the assistants was Mr. Ian Forde. All the teachers resided at Kwakwani. Notwithstanding a higher salary than that paid to teachers in the public schools, the Hururu Village Council subsidizes the teachers travelling expenses by 75%. The Village Council also subsidizes the fees for students residing at Hururu by 62%. This allows parents to pay $2,000 per month. Meanwhile, an application for registration of the school has been made. This is still pending.
Mr. Forde said, “over the last two years several qualified teachers have been dismissed for trivial reasons mainly because they oppose the captain”. The truth is over the past two years four teachers have been dismissed. The last of them was Mr. Forde.
They were all dismissed for disciplinary reasons. Perhaps some people believe that because Hururu is a remote community and cannot produce their own teachers, the people (mainly Amerindians) have to and can be subjected to all forms of unprofessional, ethical, immoral and undesirable behaviour from those employed to teach their children. All the dismissed teachers were given fair hearings and opportunities to redeem themselves. The Village Council led by Toshao Mr. Herman Williams has a zero tolerance for indiscipline.
The record shows that the dismissed teachers were all given chances after their frequent indiscretions, but the village council was forced to take strong actions as their conduct, in and out of school keep deteriorating.
The decision to dismiss a teacher is not vested in the Toshao but the Village Council. The decisions are always made unanimously, so Mr. Forde’s statement that teachers were dismissed “mainly” because they oppose the captain” is unfounded.
Over the two years Mr. Forde taught at Hururu Academy the records show that on more than one occasion he absented himself for days during examinations without reasonable excuse.
During this period Mr. Forde was warned on several occasions; he was suspended once and dismissed then reappointed.
After I assumed duty as Headmaster of this school I have had reasons to caution Mr. Forde on many occasions on his attitude, performance and commitment to his work.
So his dismissal has nothing to do with the Toshao’s attitude. It was a Village Council’s (the school’s board) decision.
Mr. Forde said that many students “have been excluded” because of non-payment of fees. No student had ever been excluded for non-payments of fees”.
I attended a Village meeting recently when the treasurer of the Village Council Mr. Mark Adrian presented his financial report for the 1st quarter of the year and stated “students owe over $1.7 million in school fees.
As it relates to staffing Mr. Forde said that the staff has been reduced to three teachers”. In fact the school has one headmaster and four assistant teachers.
The last teacher recruited had nine subjects at CXC (5 grade 1, 3 grade 2 and 1 grade 3). I am currently looking at an application from someone with eight subjects at CXC (4 grade 1, 2 grade 2 and 2 grade 3). Due to illness and other reasons the former headmistress resigned but offered to tutor the then fifth formers at her home at Kwakwani.
This was done with the consent of the parents and Village Council. However, they cease to be bona fide students of the school.
Mr. Forde further stated that only English ‘A’ Social Studies, Mathematics and Office Practice are taught at Hururu Academy.
It is evident that Mr. Forde is distorting the facts. He was here until March 16, and should know that the subjects taught are English ‘A’, Mathematics, Integrated Science (Forms 1-3), Information & Technology, Social Studies, office Administration, Principal of Business, Biology and Human Social Biology.
The Ministry of Education is aware of the school as a team led by the Deputy Chief Education Officer (Administration) visited the school. As recently as May 11, 2010 a team from the Department of Education (Region 10) visited the school. Hururu Academy has an aggressive academic programme and the teachers are committed to the progress and improvements of the school. An active and vibrant PTA also lends support for the well-being of the school.
In passing I do not want to meddle in the affairs of the Village Council (except as it relates to Hururu Academy) but I want to say that I have never seen any dictatorial tendencies in the Toshao Mr. Herman Williams.
Mr. Williams is a simple, humble committed and hard working Toshao. He always consults with his Council and sometimes the wider community, before decisions are made. He is very popular in his community and the fact that he is serving his second consecutive term as Toshao speaks volume.
During his term as Toshao, a health post with water supply system, construction and operation of a secondary school with canteen, a skills training centre with Information technology centre (15 computers), and Direct TV were all completed.
Mr. Williams has the popular support of the people, so Ian Forde utterances have no basis in facts and are divorced from the truth.
Omarnauth Outar

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