By Miranda La Rose
Just over six years ago, Headmaster Quado Vancooten moved to Kurupukari Primary in Fairview Village, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) after learning of a grave teacher shortage at that school. At that point, he had been teaching in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and in Georgetown for 22 years. Kurupukari Primary is the only school in Fairview Village, the lone community in the Iwokrama rainforest reserve.
In 2016, during the August holidays, Vancooten, then headmaster of Mashabo Primary in Region Two accompanied a group of Trinidadians to Lethem to give out some school supplies. At Kurupukari Crossing they asked a woman operating a snackette if there were any schools in the area. She told them about Kurupukari Primary adding that it was being run by two teachers, one for primary and one for nursery.
