Minister raises concern over schools in Wineperu holding classes without permission

Mar 21, 2021 News

– children seen without any facemasks to protect them from COVID-19 infection

Students seen traversing the VHI site, with no facemasks. (Photo: DPI)

Kaieteur News – The Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, has highlighted that unpermitted physical schooling is still ongoing in the Wineperu area in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), despite the Ministry of Education only allowing physical classroom sessions for students in Grades 10, 11 and 12.
Speaking to Kaieteur News via telephone on Friday, Hamilton made the revelation as he highlighted several observations during his site visit to Vaitarna Private Holdings Incorporated recently.
Kaieteur News understands that the students are of primary school age and were seen trotting through the site on their way to school with no facemask or other personal protective equipment to protect them from the COVID-19 virus.
A source told this newspaper that such happenings come in light of the lengthy closure of schools and parents being concerned about learning loss that may occur as their children continue to stay home. This publication was also told that there are many instances of “bottom house” schooling, whereas parents and teachers collaborate to have their children learn, but there is little to no vigilance against the virus, given the lack of resources some of them face.
Notably, the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, had shed light on the issue of “black market learning” on Kaieteur Radio’s “Wakeup Guyana” radio programme, where she defended the conditional reopening of schools for face-to-face learning that initiated on November 9.
On the programme, Manickchand addressed concerns that were raised about the reopening of schools stating that it served to provide students with efficient teaching so that they could complete their School-Based Assessments (SBAs) and Internal Assessments (IAs), in light of the 2021 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).
The decision came after heavy consultations with teachers and students and both parties were extremely concerned that they would not be prepared for CSEC and CAPE next year, because there was a lack of face-to-face classes.
This she said had resulted in “black market learning” in some schools, meaning that teachers were conducting classes in school without permission. Manickchand stated that the black market learning provided no proper rules and regulations for COVID-19, which posed a risk of putting the children in harm’s way.
She had also stated that online learning was not efficient for the completion of SBAs and IAs, since many students lacked proper internet connectivity and others were lacking focus, which could be prevented with in-person learning.
Over the months Manickchand has been fixed on urging teachers, parents and students to comply with all regulations set to prevent them from contracting the COVID-19 and promote safe learning.

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