Baksh urges fathers to play bigger role in education
The Ministry of Education is again considering banning the use of cellular phones in public schools, Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, has said.
Speaking at a meeting held with parents of those students attending schools in the North-East Georgetown Edu-caional District last Wednes-day, Baksh opined that cell phones are a major distraction to students during school hours. He said that when the ministry recognised this, it decided to implement measures to limit the use of cell phones in schools, which he recalled was met with outrage from some quarters. He said the ministry was currently reviewing the issue. However, Baksh stated that if the decision to ban cell phones was enforced, it would only be done after consultations with parents and other relevant parties are held.
Baksh, at the meeting, which was held in the auditorium of the St Joseph High School, also underscored the importance of parents in their children’s education, referring to them as the “principal stakeholders” in this initiative. He called on parents to be more involved in their children’s education and particularly urged fathers to dedicate more time to helping children in their educational pursuits.
Meanwhile, the minister said the Ministry of Education was trying to rejuvenate the Parent-Teacher’s Associations (PTAs) in schools. Conse-quently, the ministry has recently appointed a National Co-ordinator of PTAs in the country, Baksh stated. He said one of the responsibilities of the PTA is to ensure that the needs of the students are adequately met. He suggested that those institutions with active PTAs function much better than those without.
The minister also raised the issue of the attendance and punctuality of schoolchildren. He expressed alarm at the number of students seen on the road during school hours and said that efforts have to be made to curb this dangerous trend. Baksh, however, emphasised that the example had to be first set by the teachers.
In response to the minister’s observation, a parent suggested that one of the main reasons why so many students were seen on the road during school hours was because minibus drivers often refuse to transport schoolchildren. The parent suggested that to counteract this problem the ministry operates special school buses to carry children to school as is the case in some of the other Caribbean countries.
Baksh took note of the suggestion and said if the government decided to bring back the big buses to be used as public transportation, special school buses may eventually become a reality.
Meanwhile, another parent, who happens to be a board member of the Tutorial High School, said that while children are often neglected by the drivers of public transportation he often encounters students liming at the bus park because they just did not want to go to school. He said that it was the responsibility of the parents to ensure that their children attended school punctually and regularly.
The minister also mentioned that the ministry is trying to emphasise reading in schools and is considering making English Literature a compulsory subject in all schools. Baksh said that special efforts have been made to improve the schools’ accessibility to books and said the ministry has donated books to some school libraries.
He also said that there are discussions to have moral education be part of the schools’ curriculum, and stated that officials from the ministry will be having meetings with representatives from the various religious groups in Guyana shortly. (Mark McGowan)
