Education Ministry embarking on daily truancy watches

Jan 09, 2012 News

The execution of truancy campaigns around the country has resulted in many children being reintegrated into the school system thereby allowing them to access education.
Education is the main contributing factor for positive transformation on all levels hence the Ministry of Education remains steadfast in ensuring that all school aged children in Guyana irrespective of gender, ethnicity and location benefit from quality education. However, there are some instances where children, because of societal elements and negligence of parents do not attend school regularly. In response, the Ministry had commenced truancy campaigns.
On Friday, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand noted that while major truancy campaigns will continue, the important aspect is that Education Officials at the Central and Regional levels are on a truancy watch daily.
“For me, the first place where you can tell if something is wrong with a child, in an institutional way, is in the school,” she said.
In this regard, the school must be strong on reporting students’ absenteeism and when they are presenting difficulties, since these indicate they have social or other problems.
Manickchand explained that changes are being made to the reporting system to ensure that the Schools’ Welfare and Guidance and Counseling Departments are always made aware routinely of challenges with students. She added that some schools are not submitting the required reports of such cases and that is not acceptable.
The Minister emphasised that the reports are important so that truancy can be effectively addressed, and pointed out that the exercise will be taking a different format from the major ones. There will now be daily exercises with checks being made at the bus parks and market areas and a closer link made with the Child Care and Protection Agency.
Over the last few years, hundreds of children have been apprehended for truancy and parents have been taken before the court. The Schools’ Welfare Department is mandated to execute truancy campaigns since a decline in school attendance was previously observed. This is in keeping with the Education Act, which stipulates that if a parent fails to educate the child-that is not to send the child to school-that parent can be placed before the court.
Those parents who were cited for neglecting to educate their children are issued warning letters, and failing to adhere to the warnings results in a parent having to face the court.
When the parent is taken to court, the magistrate gives an order for the child to be sent to school within proximity of the home. Failing to carry out the magistrate’s instructions can result in the parent being sentenced to a period of incarceration.
Besides executing truancy campaigns, the Welfare Department also conducts home visits, networking with other social service agencies, parent sensitization, talks with children, visits to schools and community outreach programmes. (GINA)

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Education Ministry embarking on daily truancy watches

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