Latest update July 27th, 2026 12:14 AM
Hear Me Out: When President’s College has to beg, it’s an embarrassment
By Rawle Toney
Kaieteur Sports – President’s College should never have been forced into the humiliating position of seeking public assistance to raise $600,000 to purchase two basketball backboards.
Let that sink in.
One of Guyana’s premier secondary educational institutions, a school steeped in national pride and history, had to turn to social media to ask the public for help to fix a basic sporting necessity.
Rawle Toney
Not a luxury. Not an upgrade. Two backboards.
President’s College officially opened its doors in 1985, following a vision launched two years earlier by the late President of Guyana, Forbes Burnham. He did not live to see the institution open, but his intent was for President’s College to be a flagship school, a symbol of academic excellence.
Fast forward nearly four decades later, and that same institution is publicly appealing for donations to keep its basketball court functional.
That is not just disappointing. It is embarrassing.
Sources at the school have confirmed that formal correspondence was sent to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport as far back as 2023, outlining the issue with the damaged backboards.
To date, those letters have reportedly not even been acknowledged, as the backboards further deteriorated.
In a country that continues to speak passionately about youth development, grassroots sport and talent pathways, how is it acceptable that one of our leading secondary schools cannot get a response for a basic sporting facility request?
President’s College is not an obscure institution tucked away from the national spotlight. It is a proven breeding ground for elite student-athletes and has produced several youth national players across disciplines.
If we are serious about sport in schools, then this situation exposes a troubling disconnect between rhetoric and reality.
Those who know teacher and coach, Willon Cameron, understand that he is not one to bypass protocol or rush to social media for sympathy. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the appropriate channels were pursued, the relevant authorities were informed, and patience was exercised…until there were no options left. That alone should concern policymakers.
President’s College is one of Guyana’s leading secondary educational institutions, and it is deeply troubling that, after making the necessary requests through official avenues, the school now finds itself publicly soliciting donations for basic sporting infrastructure.
This situation is both insulting and embarrassing for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
A flagship institution of this stature should not be “begging” for assistance to fix something as fundamental as basketball backboards.
Sporting facilities are not optional add-ons to education; they are essential components of student development, physical health, discipline, teamwork and youth engagement. President’s College has long exemplified that philosophy through its consistent investment in sport and holistic student growth.
When such an institution is left unsupported, it sends a dangerous message, that school sport is expendable, that maintenance is optional, and that institutions must fend for themselves once the ceremonial speeches are done.
The responsibility for addressing this matter rests squarely with the Government, through the appropriate ministries.
Immediate steps must be taken to replace the damaged backboards and ensure that President’s College has safe, functional facilities for its students and athletes.
Allowing a premier secondary school to publicly seek donations for routine maintenance reflects poorly on those entrusted with overseeing education and sport in this country.
This issue should never have reached the stage of a Facebook appeal. It must be rectified urgently, decisively, and without excuses.
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