Manickchand scorches One Mile Primary arsonists

Aug 13, 2012 News

…lambastes politicians advancing “wild, undemocratic agendas”

“To burn a school is to remove the most necessary tool of poverty alleviation…To have burnt One Mile Primary is to attempt to condemn all the children attending that school to a life of poverty” – Education Minister

Education Minister Priya Manickchand yesterday swiftly condemned the torching of a Primary School in Region 10, saying that no person in their right mind can argue that to burn bridges, block roads and burn schools constitute peaceful protest.
According to reports, some-time around 03:00hrs yesterday, ‘arsonist(s)’ successfully managed to set ablaze, the One Mile Primary School.
Manickchand has reported that the burnt out primary school houses some 830 students.
There are reports that two persons have been arrested in connection with the blaze.
Manickchand in her immediate condemnation of the burning of the school, says that “every peace loving person and citizen who recognizes education as a necessary tool for poverty alleviation must condemn the burning of schools immediately…There can be no ifs and buts and conditions…This is wrong, will affect our innocent children, will create grave hardship for all involved, and must be unreservedly condemned.”
The newly installed Education Minister says that it will be challenging for the Ministry to place the more than 830 displaced children into schools that are already filled.
The new school year will begin on September 1.
She stressed too that “It will certainly be challenging on the pockets of their poor parents to find transportation and other money to send these now school-less children to other schools given that the one closest to their home has been burnt to the ground.”
The Minister lamented what she called an inevitable, additional strain “on the other schools which will now be forced to take in these children.”
She stressed that all the schools taking in will be accommodating far beyond their capacity and hence teachers will be tasked way beyond their limits.
Minister Manickchand says that Linden has the most trained teachers in Guyana with 93 per cent of the primary level being trained.
She says that even in light of this, “instead of the schools focusing on quality delivery they will now have to focus on mass and on counteracting the challenges posed by increased numbers.”
As such she says that much more than the said 830 ‘One Mile’ Primary kids “will suffer.”
She says too that schools are not built overnight, “so this is a most tragic circumstance that will prevail for as long as the children are forced to attend these other schools.”
Manickchand vowed to stand resolute “with our education officers, head teachers and teachers, parents and students throughout what will surely be a most difficult period.”
Manickchand in her appeal said that “We are failing at the Ministry to understand how to burn a school could be determined to be an effective way to protest reform for the payment of electricity rates.”
She joined in saying that the Education Ministry believes that the people of Linden are being used by the politicians “who do not so much care about Lindeners as they do about advancing their own wild and undemocratic agendas…To burn a school is to remove the most necessary tool of poverty alleviation…To have burnt One Mile Primary is to attempt to condemn all the children attending that school to a life of poverty.”

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Manickchand scorches One Mile Primary arsonists

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