Baracara Primary School has pupils but no teachers

Sep 29, 2016 News

…School boat not in use

Parents of students of the Baracara Primary and Nursery School (housed in the same building) are pleading with the authorities to assist them with teachers. They say their main concern is to ensure their children get an education.

Headmistress: Kim Sampson

Baracara is situated some 65 miles up the Canje River. It is a farming community which is surrounded by large forest. The residents are loggers and farmers and boats are their main means of transportation.
A journey from New Amsterdam to the forested community of Baracara could take as long as seven hours, depending on the type of boat used.
During a recent visit to the community it was observed that the school is a one flat building which houses both the primary and nursery levels. It is situated at the water’s edge alongside the health center and the recently commissioned Community Centre which was built by Food-for-the-Poor.
There are 83 pupils but only two teachers including the headmistress. The complement is six.
Head teacher Kim Sampson outlined some of the difficulties they are encountering in the community. She said that there is a dire need for teachers. Instead of six, there are only two of us here.
“The nursery section doesn’t have any teacher. One is on special assignment and the other is on maternity leave. As such, the parents would be around for the entire day and assist.”
With respect to the primary school, Sampson said that a teacher was transferred, and another was expected to assist with the Grade One and Two levels. But that teacher applied and was selected for the Cyril Potter College of

Nursery students with parents in an out of the classroom.

Nursery students with parents in the classroom.

Education. The teacher in question, reportedly told her superiors that she cannot allow the two years to go wasted, and has opted to attend classes at the teachers’ training college.
As a result the school head and the other teacher have to perform miracles to teach the classes. She has to teach Grades Three to Six, which accounts for four classes, while the other teacher is tasked with teaching Grades One and Two. She would assign work for the nursery section and the parents would assist.
According to Ms Sampson, she was asked to find someone to teach, even if the person is not qualified in Mathematics and English Language; however, she is having difficulty in doing so.
Attendance is steady especially during the dry weather. The Headmistress stated that the school boat donated by President David Granger some months ago to transport children to the school has not been used since, and has been moored in the river, due to the unavailability of someone to license captains.
Another point to note is that the school was asked to make a shed for the boat. However, residents are saying that their economic situation at the moment does not allow them to raise the money to construct it.
Presently rehabilitation work is ongoing on the school, and according to head teacher Sampson, apart from some painting and some minor adjustments the school is in good shape.

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