The Black Bush/Mibicuri and the Canje Secondary Schools on Saturday received a total of 40 bicycles under President David Granger’s ‘Boats, Buses, Bicycles plus Breakfast and Books’ or ‘Five Bs’ programme.
A release from the Ministry of the Presidency said that with the donation of 20 bicycles to each school, the Heads of the institutions are optimistic that attendance and punctuality will significantly improve.
First Lady, Sandra Granger and Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally visited the schools to make the presentations.
Delivering remarks at the Black Bush/Mibicuri Secondary School, Ally said that the country’s growth and development is dependent on educated children and as such, the necessary investments must be made now by the Government to ensure this becomes a reality.
“That is the one of the visions of our President, David Granger. If our children are not educated, there will be no tomorrow for us. There will be no nation building, no development and so the President is focusing on education and it is not education for one set of people. It is for all of Guyana,” she said, according to the release.
Noting that the East Berbice-Corentyne Region (Region Six) currently has three school buses, a boat and hundreds of bicycles, Ally said that this is a demonstration on the part of the Government to the development of the Region.
While Government is doing all that it can, the Minister said that it is incumbent on parents and guardians to ensure that their children access education.
“We have heard stories of boys dropping out and working on the farms and I want to say this; parents now is the time you have to help your children to develop. Now is the time that you have to ensure that your child gets a good education. While only 20 bicycles will be distributed today, we are coming back to Black Bush so that more students can benefit and so I want to urge parents to think seriously and try to avoid not giving your children the best of education. Ensure they come to school every day and on time. Under this Government there is hope for you for tomorrow,” the Minister said.
Headmaster of the School, Asad Hussain, in an invited comment said that absenteeism and unpunctuality have been major issues for the Black Bush Secondary School. He noted that while there are 150 students on the school’s register, only an average of 110 students are recorded as present at school daily.
Over at the Canje Secondary School, Mrs Granger told the students that the Five Bs programme provides an opportunity to every beneficiary to not only get to school but to work towards their future goals and ambitions.
Headmistress of that institution, Vanessa Jacobs, in an invited comment, said that the donation of the bicycles is timely.
“We have students who come all the way from the East Bank all the way down to Canje and the cost for transportation is most times prohibitive. Getting transportation to school is very difficult and most of these students come from single parent families or low-income families. So it is very much appreciated and will go a long way,” she said.
