Dear Editor,
Region 10 has 62 schools of which only 30 are in Linden. Immediately, one can see the need for transportation – both road and river – to at a minimum, visit the schools in the region. Yet, in all the wisdom of the regional politicians and executives, no vehicle is assigned to the Department of Education. However, at the end of every year, budgetary allocations for fuel are exhausted. Contracts are awarded for works to be done in schools, monies are paid and the schools are still left wanting for the very works in those contracts. Where does the money go, Mr. Accounting Officer?
One visit to the Department of Education will enlighten you on the severely impoverished state under which it operates – you can never find a glass of water (how does the staff there survive?). Very recently a student from one of our schools collapsed in front of the Department – no First Aid Kit or emergency rub, limacol, methylated spirits – nothing that almost every other enclosed Guyanese structure may stock. The staff at the Department couldn’t offer the child a glass of water – they had no money to purchase water. Fortunately, the telephones at the Department were in service at the time (the phones were down for more than two months) – they were able to call the ambulance to take the child to hospital. Imagine that was your child. Mr. President, you cannot allow this state of affairs to continue.
With this level of “impoverishness” it is useless to ask why is there no Internet connection to any education facility in the region. Our President oftentimes repeats publicly that information technology in education in Guyana is integral to Guyana’s future and claims to have spent huge sums on technology in education, yet no school, library or even the Department of Education in Linden is connected to the Internet. We are in 2007 Mr. President. What exactly has the money been spent on in Region #10 – technology in education?
Most times when requests are made to the Regional Stores Department for almost any item for use in the schools, it is almost always never available and when it is, it is in meagre quantities – totally inadequate to have anything meaningful done in the schools. Yet, the funds are always exhausted. The government talks about the huge sums of moneys being spent on education in the regions but are these monies being put to their intended uses? Do the children benefit? Or do the money spenders have a field day? Why is it that the regional accounting officer is either reluctant or unable to provide to the Department of Education, on a monthly basis, details of the expenditure of funds allocated to the education programme in the region? Why is it that funds allocated for use in the schools are diverted to all sorts of other uses rather than for the benefit of our nation’s children?
I know that the President and the Minister of Education have said on many occasions that there is to be no fundraising in schools but situations such as these force headteachers and teachers into uncompromising situations. If they are not creative and devise ways to raise funds for their schools’ programmes, what will happen?
Mr. President, Region 10 has had no Regional Education Officer for more than 2 years. I’ve seen advertisements in the press on several occasions for this vacancy to be filled. Why is it not yet filled? Has anyone considered the reason for this void?
There were, up to the end of December 2006, only 2 appointed Education Officers at the Department of Education. One of those officers has since died. The remaining officer, who now acts as Regional Education Officer, was recently hospitalized. The system in the region is detrimental to the health of anyone who sits in that chair. The Regional Executive Officer is an authority unto all the regional employees including those at Education. And he is never hesitant to berate, upbraid and abuse education officials whenever his way is not had – even when it is as a result of his own doing in the first place. Maybe that is why the vacancy for Regional Education Officer, Region 10 still exists. Point to note potential applicants, if you participate in social activities you need not apply because the Regional Executive Officer just decided, last December, that staff at Education are not entitled to a Christmas party. However, a cursory check of the accounting records will show that the Christmas party hosted by the Regional Executive Officer was financed by funds allocated to education.
The Education system in any society is responsible for moulding the human resources and it has a direct, integral responsibility for what becomes of the country in the next generation. This situation of constant deprivation can no longer continue. We are breeding a generation of desperately deprived people in Region 10. Is this the objective?
Every human being has a point beyond which they can no longer bend. We have human beings working in Education in Linden. Stop complaining about the brain drain and let’s work on the “brain retain”.
Yours faithfully,
Gail Crandon
Retired educator and
resident of Linden
