CPA ready to work with Sophia residents to deter truancy

– community calls for school bus

By Rennella Bourne

In an effort to eradicate the cycle of poverty, the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) met with a group of parents from South Sophia, Greater Georgetown, to discuss issues that are preventing their children from attending school.
Sophia, a community known to be poverty stricken, is also said to have a high dropout rate. Traversing the streets of the community daily, scores of children can be found on street corners during school hours.
The meeting was held at Cummings Park Nursery School which was commissioned in December 2015. The objective of the CC&PA is to minimise the soaring rate of school dropouts. The agency believes education is the main channel to eradicate the stifled economy in that community.
Child Protection Officer, Gavin Robertson told parents at the small meeting that the Agency is ready to work with the community to have each child present at school at all times.
One parent at the meeting while lamenting the poor turnout, urged single mothers to look out for each other’s children. “People should look out for other people children, if they are doing wrong, pull them up,” she noted.
She said some single mothers have demanding jobs which require them to leave before school hours. “They will iron their children uniforms and make their lunches yet still the children stay home after their mom is gone.”
Further, she added, “Some children always have to get someone looking over them or else they will grow wayward. That is why we should have concerned citizens that are willing to help one another for the children sake at least.”
It was mounted at the meeting that between two streets, at least 20 children are not attending school nor are they seeking to learn a trade.
The CC&PA is targeting students from nursery and secondary school age in an effort to have them attend school regularly.
Head Mistress of Cummings Park Nursery school, Cecile Whyte-Joseph reported that in her jurisdiction, all the children attend school.
“I do tell the parents even if they do not have snack for their children, the teachers will provide,” she said.
She continued, “In many cases, students come to school and I went into my purse and I bought snack for them.” When questioned by Robertson about affording this gesture daily, the Headmistress responded, “I cannot deny children education because they do not have snack, I say let them come, they have to get an education.”
Meanwhile, parents of the community are pleading for extracurricular activities to be initiated to curb the high level of juvenile delinquency. They said there is a multipurpose building in the community that is rarely used. They suggested that Government use it to establish a number of classes for the children.
They have also expressed the need for a bus in the community to take their children to school since the regular buses would usually leave them in the morning to secure adult passengers.
President Granger’s ‘Three B’s’ programme – boats, buses and bicycles –which was recently extended to the ‘Five B’s’ programme – boats, buses, bicycles, breakfast and books – has so far distributed seven buses in communities across the country. This initiative was extended to Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
The community of Sophia located in the vicinity of University of Guyana have always played a part in many of the institution’s Social Sciences research programme. Students of the University of Guyana acquire their rich findings however nothing has been done to solve to correct this community.