Mahdia fire victims should be honoured through a creative process that elevates hinterland education systems

May 28, 2023 Letters

Dear Editor

Kaieteur News – I am writing as a concerned citizen to express my deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to all those affected by the tragic school dormitory fire that claimed the lives of 19 children in the Mahdia. This devastating incident has left our entire nation in mourning, and the pain and grief being experienced by the families, the injured, and the communities affected is immeasurable. Guyanese everywhere are collectively traumatized.

Amidst this overwhelming sorrow, I would like to highlight a touching gesture that truly embodied the complex emotions that words alone could not express. The initiative taken by the teachers and students at Bath Primary School to form a heart on the playground, with students arranged in a pattern forming an “M” in the middle, was a profound display of mourning, solidarity, and empathy. This simple yet powerful act not only symbolized the unity and unwavering support for those who suffered this tragedy but also provided comfort. I attach a copy, which I hope you will print.

In a time when words fall short, this heartfelt gesture served as a reminder that compassion knows no bounds. It conveyed the shared pain and the collective grief that we all feel as a nation. It is in these moments of darkness that the light of unity shines brightest. The students and teachers at Bath Primary School have shown us the way. I am grateful to them and persons who shared the image via social media, and to all organisations, local and foreign, and persons who have rallied to assist. I understand that school children at other schools have since made similar tributes and am gladdened that they have a means to express the complex emotions they must feel.

The families of victims, members of the communities affected, and concerned citizens are understandably angry and eager for changes. The time will come to dissect this tragedy for accountability and lessons. However, I do not believe that now is the time. I commend President Ali for leading from the front respectfully, adjusting our national Independence celebrations, and urging all Guyanese to honour our loss and injured children and their families in this great moment of grief.

I urge all citizens to show respect and patience until every child has been laid to rest. I do hope that the President will then embrace an open process to examine what went wrong and could be improved. I commend and urge him to uphold the high standard of leadership he has displayed in this matter to date by considering all viewpoints, including those he and members of the government might not agree with. This will improve the quality and impact of decisions that hopefully will not merely fix underlying problems but also improve how education is structured in the hinterland, perhaps creatively building on the virtual classroom opportunities opened by the Low Carbon Development Strategy’s rural solar electrification programme.

I am aware from years of field work among Indigenous communities of the great burden they bear in sending their academically brightest youngsters away from their village for formal schooling. These youths are unable to continue their cultural schooling through their way of live with their families, a socialization process through which critical traditional knowledge, including prized ecological knowledge, is passed from generation to generation. As our inherited British school term system does not coincide with ecological wet and dry seasons and farming cycles, these children are also often away and cannot fully participate in critical farming and hunting activities.

I have great hope that the victims of the Mahdia tragedy will be honoured through a creative process that elevates hinterland education systems, catering to both formal and Indigenous schooling requirements. Let us move forward with respect, embracing the task of identifying and formulating solutions to the numerous challenges that lie ahead. Together, we have the capability to overcome and make meaningful progress.

Simone Mangal-Joly

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