Over 400 hinterland students have been denied access to classes in Region Seven since the resumption of in-school learning due to a requirement that they be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to stay in dorms and the Education Ministry has since moved to rectify the situation.
While the students, who are from eight indigenous communities in the Upper Mazaruni district, still had the option of attending classes without staying in the dorms, many were unable to travel daily due to cost and the great distance from their homes.
“The government, through the Ministry of Education, has been insisting that no child should be denied education because of choice for vaccination but to get into the dorms — all the dorms throughout Region Seven — you are required to be vaccinated. If you are attending a school with a dorm you are automatically denying the kids from having an education. So that’s the technical matter that has not been resolved by the Ministry of Education,” Regional Chairman Kenneth Williams told Sunday Stabroek.
