THE Ministry of Education in a press release yesterday condemned the burning of the One-Mile Primary School at Linden, the largest primary school in Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Bebrice), which left 830 Guyanese children school-less.
According to the press release, the burning down of the school will not only affect the innocent children, but it will create grave hardship for all those involved. “It will be challenging for the ministry to place the more than 830 children into schools that are already filled” the press release noted.
| “It will be challenging for the ministry to place the more than 830 children into schools that are already filled” – Education Ministry |
It also stated that it will be challenging for those schools that will now be forced to take in the children, as “all the schools taking in and the children attending will certainly suffer as they will be accommodating far beyond their capacity and hence teaching far below their maximum.”
The parents of the children of One- Mile Primary School will now be faced with the burden of finding transportation and other money to send their children to other schools, as the one closest to their home was burnt to the ground.
“As we know, schools are not built overnight, so this is a most tragic circumstance that will prevail for as long as the children are forced to attend these other schools. We will stand with our education officers, head teachers and teachers, parents and students throughout what will surely be a most difficult period” the press release stated.
The ministry is urging “every peace loving person and citizen who recognises education as a necessary tool for poverty alleviation” to immediately condemn the burning down of schools.
The press release noted that the right to peaceful protest is enshrined in the constitution, but “no person in their right mind, however, can argue that to burn bridges, block roads and burn schools constitute peaceful protest.”
Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2012/08/13/education-ministry-vehemently-condemns-razing-of-one-mile-primary-in-linden-830-students-now-school-less