Dear Editor,
Schoolchildren from the outlying villages of the Rupununi continue to be greatly disadvantaged because they do not have proper access to the Ministry of Education’s approved online teaching due to poor internet connection as a consequence of the lack of internet infrastructure. However, in and around Lethem this is not a problem due to good quality internet connection which is sourced from Brazil. This service to the township is on par with that of the coastland.
A number of providers are reportedly willing to expand to the outlying villages but the infrastructure and expertise can only be sourced from Brazil. There is also the issue of approval from the relevant authorities in Guyana.
With the border between Guyana and Brazil closed due to the Coronavirus this expansion has not been possible.
Officials from the Ministry of Education have repeatedly bemoaned the fact that hinterland children are disadvantaged due to their lack of access to the internet. Well, Honourable Minister and team of officials there is a solution for a large percentage of the Rupununi.
All it needs is some flexibility from the government to firstly officially permit internet connection from Brazil and secondly grant permission to the Brazilian technicians and relevant infrastructure to cross the border into the Rupununi. Goods and services already enter Lethem from Brazil once per week. Certainly a concession can be made to bring in the internet technology as well, pending medical clearance.
Honourable minister of education and government, our children from the hinterland cannot afford to continue to be left further behind in their academic development. We are already heavily disadvantaged in many other ways. As officials who are responsible for the development of these children, it is not enough to simply make excuses for this disadvantage. We would much prefer to see you thinking outside the box to find solutions.
For those students in the Rupununi there is a solution at hand. As a parent of five children at both primary and secondary levels, I plead with the relevant officials to find ways to make this internet connectivity possible in the shortest possible time frame.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Abraham
