Probe into students being forced to fetch water completed

A report into the investigations into Santa Rosa Primary school students being made to fetch water has been completed and is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly soon, according to Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker.

Whittaker told Stabroek News yesterday that the report was submitted from the District Education Office.

On Monday, APNU’s Shadow Minister of Education Amna Ally had told the National Assembly that there were reports of children

A Santa Rosa Primary student fetching a bucket of water
A Santa Rosa Primary student fetching a bucket of water

at the Santa Rosa Primary being forced to fetch water.

Ally stated that while flush toilets were installed at the school and a significant amount of money was spent on water tanks, these were not working. She showed pictures of the water tanks and of a student fetching a bucket of water and she told the National Assembly that there was no drinking water at the school and that the children are being forced to fetch water on a daily basis.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand had said that she will have the matter thoroughly investigated, even though the Local Government Ministry is responsible for the day to day operations within education in the regions. Manickchand when contacted yesterday said that she is going to release a statement on the report today.