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Collaborative effort underway to address Regional Education issues
While, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganga Persaud reiterates his disapproval of over recent protest activities at regional educational institutions, he disclosed that collaborative efforts are underway to address, the issues at district school facilities.
The Minister explained that while it is the responsibility of the local Government Ministry via its regional offices to oversee adequate management of education structures, within the regions, the Ministry of Education shares responsibility by providing the necessary school supplies.
Ganga Persaud
“The Ministry of Local Government is responsible for education in the region. We pay the staff to provide maintenance repairs and such the Ministry of Education is tasked with textbooks, exercise books, basic teaching materials as well as collaborating with Local Government to facilitate the school feeding programme and uniform assistance mechanism to the region.”
Asked whether there has been a disconnect between the Education Ministry and the Ministry of Local Government with regards to shared management of Regional Education officials, Persaud said that the two agencies are continually working together to provide better education to the various regions.
He however explained that officers have expressed a preference in where they are placed to work.
“Over the years, we have suffered badly in terms of placing officers to work in the hinterland areas. On numerous occasions officers have expressed a preference of not wanting to work in the interior regions.”
Recently, school protests occurred in several district primary schools, which include Mahdia, Port Kaituma, Parika/Salem and La Parfaite Harmonie.
The picketing exercises involved disgruntled parents and teachers, who mobilized students demanding redress to several issues
Speaking at recent presser, Minister Persaud uttered concern with regards to the recent upsurge in protests involving children at various schools in the regions particularly those involving children.
In a bid to curb this unnecessary trend, the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development says that his office is prepared to join forces with other government agencies to maintain order by engaging law enforcement agencies.
Persaud urges, “Parents, guardians and teachers who have yielded to the temptation of breaking the law by locking the school gates and involving children in picketing exercises to discontinue this sort of behaviour.”
“It is, apart from being illegal, an improper way for society to function,” the Minister further stated
“The issue of having children taken out of school, during normal school hours to facilitate protest activities and at the same time locking down educational institutions denying access to schools, has been highlighted by the media and viewed by a wide cross section of Guyanese…
“I wish to state clearly that the Ministry of Local Government is prepared to join with other Government agencies to seriously and consistently seek to engage law enforcement agencies when such acts of breaking the law are committed.”
Persaud suggests that parents and teachers could have their issues addressed by writing to the regional educational authorities and by using the same method to forward their concerns to his Ministry.
The Minister’s remark came days after Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon expressed Government’s disapproval over the matter.
On Friday last, Dr Luncheon said that Government has made the decision to ensure that policies are enforced, whereby those protesting could be charged and prosecuted
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