Mae’s schools must be investigated by the Education Ministry

May 17, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,

I am writing with a two main motives, to show support for the three most recent letter writers who revived the subject matter of the abuses by private school administrators and to point out that the reluctance of the Ministry of Education to exercise its powers, especially in the past, has contributed significantly to the monster that Mae’s, in particular, has become.
I am a parent of a child attending who is a first time attendee of Mae’s, the High School Division, and am surprised at the policies this School has had in place and with no intervention from the Ministry of Education. You may recall that in May 2009, Mr. Freddie Kissoon reported on an incident where a child was expelled for being found with a cell phone. According to that Article, the School’s administration did not reconsider its action despite the fact that their policy was inconsistent with that of the Ministry of Education which governed all schools in Guyana. In fact, the Ministry’s policy was clear on the procedure with respect to expulsion yet Mae’s administration took actions it deemed appropriate and without any consequence resulting in the child being placed at another private school. The Article also pointed out that the then Minister of Education, Mr. Shaik Baksh, indicated that there is nothing he could do because Mae’s was within the realm of a private business.
Again, in August 2010, Mr. Kissoon followed up on the matter but looked at it from the standpoint of the omission to act by PNC Parliamentarians Backer and Riehl and in October 2014 while addressing suicide by a student at another private school, he mentioned that there were two expulsions that were done by Mae’s. He mentioned again the callous response of the then Minister of Education. Herein, to my mind, lies the problem, while the Parliamentarians should have taken a more aggressive approach to the matter, the blame should be laid squarely at the feet of the Ministry of Education.
After all, it is the Minister who has the power to make Regulations for establishing and maintaining an efficient system throughout Guyana (Education Act, Chapter 39:01, Article 47 (1)). This would therefore cover all schools including private institutions. I also note that the Act establishes the National Council for Education whose function is to advise the Minister upon matters relating to nursery, elementary, secondary, or further education, and may at any time make recommendations to the Minister in respect of such matters. Again, this function cannot be limited to government schools. I would dare assume that private schools have to satisfy certain requirements set by the Ministry in order to become functional; how can that be the extent of the relationship?
As a result of the inactions of the Minister, Mae’s has morphed into a complete monster and is now out of control; mistreating teachers and not only stating blatantly to parents that they can do what they want after fleecing their money, but also requesting an arbitrary ten percent late fee on an advanced payment of school fees and failure to pay same results in the child having to be kept at home until it is paid. Ludicrous! Such actions represent a total disregard not only for the parents whose payments sustain the School but for the Minister, the Ministry and the rules that they have established to govern education in Guyana. It is also a disregard for the laws of Guyana as one cannot arbitrarily set a penalty; it is illegal! Similarly, there are labour laws that govern the employer-employee relationship. Mae’s school administration should not be allowed to continue with such actions without consequence. Now that the parents would have written and protested, I await the intervention of the ‘new’ Minister of Education. Should I?
Concerned parent

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Mae’s schools must be investigated by the Education Ministry

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