No major hiccups were reported during the reopening of schools in Region Six
Works still being done to complete the Number 36 Primary School
(East Berbice-Corentyne) on Monday. However, there were reports that school attendance was a bit below what was expected on the first day of school in Berbice.
Special attention was placed on schools which underwent repair works during the holiday period.
“Most of those schools had a smooth transition and some even had what could be determined as a reasonable turnout on the first day. So it means that children really want to go to school so we have to put things in place. To make sure that they are as comfortable as possible,” Regional Chairman David Armogan said.
Two schools in the Region have not been completed; those are the Manchester Secondary and the Number 36 Primary. According to the Regional Chairman, at
The Vrymen’s Erven Secondary School
the Number 36 Primary, it may take another week for work to be completed.
He explained that some painting was still to be done while some small works on the building were incomplete as well.
At the Fyrish Primary School, the contractor is still painting the outside of the building. Parents have raised concerns over the use of the school building, since the contractor, only a few days ago, completed painting works on the inside of the building.
However, the school’s administration has reassured that the fresh paint poses no harm to the students since the windows of the building were left open over the past weekend.
Meanwhile, Armogan says one of the schools in the Region that have raised concerns has always been the Vrymen’s Erven Secondary. He pointed out that there has always been a furniture shortage there, with the school in need of more than 200 pieces.
The Regional Chairman said he was pleasantly surprised on Monday to find the condition the school was in. He also expressed satisfaction at the high attendance on day one of the new school year.
“It is a troublesome school and it is not always that you find that things would be in order there, but like I said I was pleasantly surprised this morning [Monday].” Meanwhile, on the East Bank of Berbice, attendance at the Friends Primary has been reduced to 130 students, representing only half of what it used to be five years ago. This has been attributed to the fact that many persons have been migrating as new housing schemes open up in more urban communities. That school is one of four schools along the East Bank of Berbice.
