Speaking at the commissioning of a new play park yesterday – a project by Every Child Guyana – at the Eccles Primary School, Fox said there are many things the Ministry of Education “can’t achieve in many ways” because there is a need for more resources and more dedicated people. It was in this context that she extended gratitude to the organisation. Every Child Guyana, Fox said, has been able to target that important area which the ministry has tried but has been unable in fully reaching.
She noted the importance a safe environment being provided for children to play and also urged parents and teachers to teach children the games they played as children. It is a passing on of history and culture, Fox stated.
Parents, according to Fox, often think that academic studies are most important for their children and don’t realise that things like music teach their children a combination of important skills. When a child is a part of a school choir s/he learns Math, English, Literature and History all together, she added. It should be our aim, Fox said, to make sure our children are well rounded.
The minister also discouraged parents from forcing their children to follow their footsteps. She said often parents feel that because they are a member of a certain well-respected profession their child or children must follow their steps. She urged parents to give their children the right to speak their feelings and say what they want to do with their lives.
“Listen to your children,” Fox urged parents yesterday. “Listen to their ideas and opinions.”
Communication between children and their parents is very important, she added, especially given the fact that there has been a rise in suicide among young people. The minister said that although outside institutions like schools, churches and the relevant government ministries are responsible for a young person’s education, this doesn’t change the fact that everything begins at home.
Parents, the minister said, should pay attention to their children and be able to communicate with them on all levels. The new play park aims to emphasize the importance of a safe place for children to play.
Every Child Guyana is a non-governmental organisation working to give children experiencing abuse a safe and secure future, free from violence and exploitation. It also seeks to “address the unfulfilled rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized children in Guyana,” Programme Team Leader Shayla Fields said.
The organization in collaboration with the Ministry of Education implemented the ‘Every Child Counts’ initiative in 2003. Every Child Counts has since been operating at the Eccles, St Anne’s and Agricola primary schools and the Houston Community High School. It aims to provide education in parenting skills; child friendly counselling and other psychological support to children and their families and to strengthen the literacy capacity of children in the target schools.
Fields, during her presentation, said there was great participation by caregivers in the parenting skills education workshops. The sessions, she explained, were aimed at improving the levels of care for children that take into consideration the best interests of the child. Over 400 parents, Parent Teachers Association members and religious leaders have been trained in Positive Parenting and Child Development and have become parent educators/protection agents in their homes and schools.
Further, she said that approximately 650 children from the target schools were given a chance to participate in Essay and Art competitions.
Pastor Deborah King, head teachers and the Burrowes School of Arts judged the submitted pieces and winners were presented with the prizes yesterday. Fields promised the young participants that their drawings and messages will be used to promote the rights of the children across Guyana.
Andrea Persaud of Eccles Primary, who took first place in the essay competition, read her piece which spoke of a child’s rights and the effects of being denied those rights. Wazima Khan and Shameka Moore from St Anne’s Primary; Dillip Vieira and Michael Macbeth of Houston Community High; and Videsh Narine also received prizes for their essays and submissions of drawings in the art competition.
Every Child Guyana has scheduled its events to run concurrently with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child’s 20th anniversary.
Article 31 of the convention clearly states that every child has a right to play and it was based on this right that the group decided to commission the play park at the Eccles Primary School.
As the ribbons were cut officially opening the play park, students rushed to sample the slides and swings.
Every Child Guyana also hosted a tour to the other schools in its target group as well as the Ruimveldt Children’s Aid Centre and Dorothy Bailey Municipal Centre to highlight some of its achievements.
